New Delhi: Taliban leader Sher Mohammed Abbas Stanekzai has said the group wants to continue Afghanistan’s political, economic and cultural ties with India, the first time a member of the Taliban’s top hierarchy has spoken on the issue since the takeover of Kabul.
In a nearly 46-minute video posted on the Taliban’s social media platforms on Saturday, Stanekzai spoke extensively in Pashto on the end of the war in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s plans for forming an Islamic administration based on Shariah. He also spoke about the Taliban’s views on relations with key countries in the region, including India, Pakistan, China and Russia.
Since the Taliban assumed power in Kabul after the collapse of the Ashraf Ghani government on August 15, the group’s spokesmen Suhail Shaheen and Zabiullah Mujahid have spoken to the Pakistani media about the group’s views on relations with India. However, Stanekzai is the first senior leader to make a statement on relations with other countries.
“India is very important for this subcontinent. We want to continue our cultural, economic and trade ties with India like in the past,” Stanekzai said.
“Trade with India through Pakistan is very important for us. With India, trade through air corridors will also remain open,” he said, outlining the Taliban’s plans for trade in the region.