KABUL -

More than 3 months after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, the Afghan state television broadcast for the first time an audio speech of Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, breaking his silence that sparked criticism among Afghans.

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in mid-August, Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzadeh and Prime Minister Mullah Muhammad Hassan have not addressed the people, raising questions about the reasons why the movement's senior leadership and government avoided direct appearances in the media and public gatherings.

Taliban fighters after taking control of Afghanistan in mid-August (Reuters)

speech form

The speech of the Prime Minister of the Afghan government took half an hour, and came in the Pashto and dialect of the people of Kandahar, contrary to the usual official custom in Afghanistan where heads of state, government and political leaders give their speeches in the country's two official languages, Pashto and Dari Farsi.

It seemed from the way he spoke that the Prime Minister spoke improvised and did not read a written text, and spoke in the tone of self-confident, unpretentious and in a simple manner, and the tone of his voice indicated his conviction in what he was saying.

Domestic issues and international relations

In terms of content, the Afghan Prime Minister's speech included several topics related to the policies of the Taliban government.

Mullah Muhammad Hassan tried to answer some issues of domestic concern and international concern.

He emphasized the previous promises and covenants made by the Taliban movement regarding issues such as girls' education, women's work and their rights, human rights, general amnesty for men of the former regime and opponents, the relationship of the Taliban government with the world, and achieving security and peace.

He also touched on the Taliban's view of the overall government and the bad economic conditions in the country, and provided recommendations and advice to government officials to perform their duties, and to treat the people with kindness.


Taliban achievements

Mullah Muhammad Hassan considered ending the US occupation of Afghanistan, establishing an Islamic government, and bringing peace and security to the country, three promises that the Taliban had fulfilled.

He said that the movement and the Afghan people today are facing another challenge, which is to preserve the gains and provide prosperity.

Regarding the issue of women and their rights, Mullah Muhammad Hassan reiterated the Taliban's position to allow women to educate and work in accordance with Islamic law.

He said that his government preserves the dignity and chastity of women, stressing that the legal sciences are obligatory for every Muslim, man or woman, while the other sciences are acquired as much as possible and according to need.

Mullah Muhammad Hassan stressed that Afghan women under his government are more secure compared to their situation during the previous government, and promised to strive to create appropriate conditions for girls' education, without disclosing the type of those conditions.

Mullah Muhammad Hassan explained that women in Afghanistan have become more secure under the rule of the Taliban (Al-Jazeera)

human rights

Regarding human rights in general, the Afghan Prime Minister said that the Taliban movement, by pardoning the men of the previous government and all those who fought it and practiced killing and torture under the American occupation, struck the greatest example of human rights protection and the preservation of human dignity.

Muhammad Hassan recommended that ministers, governors, judges, security officials and state employees open their doors to citizens, and treat the people with kindness and charity, and warned against the consequences of mistreatment of citizens who have suffered from injustice and cruelty of regimes and governments throughout the past eras, as he put it.

Mullah Muhammad Hassan criticized the previous government, and pointed out its failure due to corruption and the monopoly of power in the person of the former president and his clique.

The envoys of Germany and the Netherlands to Afghanistan and the German ambassador in a meeting with Taliban officials in Kabul (social networking sites)

reassure the world

In its foreign relations, Mullah Muhammad Hassan stressed that his government desires to establish good relations with other countries, and is committed not to interfere in the affairs of others.

He said that Afghanistan has internal problems that prevent it from interfering in the affairs of foreign countries.

The Prime Minister affirmed that his government believes in congruence between words and deeds, and implements what it is committed to in terms of good-neighborly relations and not harming the security and safety of other countries.

The government is not responsible for the deterioration

Speaking about the economy, the Afghan Prime Minister said that his government is not responsible for the bad economic conditions in the country, "the high prices and drought existed before the establishment of the Islamic Emirate."

"We did not make promises to the people to provide livelihood, for God is the Sustainer," he added.

He considered that the economic deterioration in Afghanistan "is a result of people's disobedience to God's commands and the drought resulting from the lack of rain."

He stressed that "the leaders and officials of the current government have financial integrity and are not keen to earn money from the treasury, and they do not steal people's money."

In terms of its composition, Mullah Muhammad Hassan said that his government is inclusive of all components of the Afghan people, and considered that a person or group’s acquisition of power with regime change is normal and natural, and this is what happens in all countries, whether in Islamic countries or others.

"Accordingly, it is not fair to accuse the current government in Afghanistan of being inclusive," he said.


What was missing from the speech?

But what was absent from the speech was the talk about government programs, the future of the system of governance and related matters such as drafting a constitution for the country, and procedures associated with the transitional period such as elections, the reference to laws, and the people’s political participation in choosing the system of government and government.

Mullah Muhammad Hassan also did not address the government's economic policies, the government's plans for development and providing the basic needs of its citizens in the areas of food, health, agriculture, education, combating unemployment and drugs, or measures to encourage young people, especially talented people, to stay in the country and not flee from it.

The Afghan Prime Minister did not address his government's plans for national reconciliation and political and social harmony in Afghanistan, and how to extricate the country from the accumulations of 4 decades of war.