Nasrallah Sadeghizadeh Nili, speaking in an interview with the website of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, described the current situation in Afghanistan, due to the rivalry between the view of creating an “Emirate” system and the view of implementing principles based on the “Republic” system, and noted: The Taliban were created by Pakistan and with the support of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia and with the help of the United States and Britain in 1970s (1990s), with an aim of governing on the basis of the “Emirati” system and maintaining interests of foreign countries.

Taliban’s benefit for foreigners

He added: “Following the Taliban support for al-Qaeda, we witnessed the US military offensive against them and the Taliban were forced to step down, but in the current situation, those who have created and supported the Taliban, have put ample opportunities at the disposal of the Taliban to pursue their own interests and they intend to use them again.

Sadeghizadeh referred to the pillars of the republic-based system, including the constitution, parliament and elections, and noted that the structure of the “Emirati” government is based on absolute religious, racial and ethnic unilateral rule. In fact, the main conflict in Afghanistan today is on the one hand over the interests of foreign countries and in support of the “Emirate” rule and on the other hand for the interests of the people of that country in the name of the “Republic” and the United States with its hasty and irresponsible withdrawal has created the civil war and most of our country fell into the hands of the Taliban.

The former representative of the people of Daykundi Province in Afghanistan parliament continued by emphasizing that the desire and demand of the Afghan people is to establish a republic in the country, a system created by the people’s vote in that country and all ethnic groups and parties consider themselves partners in it and added: This system is based on the constitution that has been approved by the people’s representatives in the Loya Jirga and has held several elections and has had great achievements.

Taliban’s approach at present time

Sadeghizadeh Nili, who has previously fought against the Taliban and in recent weeks, while being present on the front, in the city of Nili, the capital of Daykundi Province, has mobilized people to defend themselves against the Taliban, added: Unfortunately, the will of the people is not taken into account today, and despite the problems created for them, foreign countries only follow their own interests in that country.

Criticizing some analysis that the Taliban totalitarian approach to governance and ethnic rights issues has changed, the former member of the Afghan parliament added: The Taliban not only have not changed, but have become far worse than in the previous period. It is this group that in recent weeks has carried out massacres in Afghanistan of Shiites, Hazaras and other groups. It is the same group that has launched the large-scale massacres and explosions in residential, civilian, cultural, religious and media areas, killing thousands of innocent people which are not hidden from anyone. These are the ones who on their way of movement and advancement have beheaded dozens of people!

Sadeghizadeh Nili continued: Is it not true that in “Spin Boldak” in Kandahar, we were witness to the killing of dozens of Pashtun people on false accusation!” Is it not true that in Kandahar, they destroyed the graves of the great people! And also they looted the house of the martyred commander Abdul Raziq! Is it not true that in Ghazni, they massacred tens of Hazara people! Did not they kill civilians in the areas of Dara-i-Suf and Daykundi! And did not they blow up and destroy dozens of people’s houses! Is it not true that in Takhtar and Badakhshan, we are witness to the forced marriage with young girls and homeless women! So the Taliban have not changed, rather they have become more violent.

Presence of 22 terrorist groups alongside Taliban

The spokesman for the Afghanistan People’s Trust Front stressed: They claim to have severed ties with other terrorist groups, but even the UN Security Council has acknowledged that those ties continue. It should not be forgotten that about 22 terrorist groups from Central Asia and Pakistan are currently fighting alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan!

He added: The Taliban are attacking residential areas with heavy weapons, even they attacked the UN office in Herat. The Taliban has not changed, but the views of those who want the Taliban to come to power and support them have changed. We believe that analysis cannot purify the Taliban, the Taliban must prove in practice that they have changed; but this will definitely not happen.

Sadeghizadeh Nili, meanwhile, said: We believe that the Taliban is the reality of Afghanistan and cannot be ignored, but that they want to take over the government unilaterally is unacceptable and will create many problems.

The Afghan political activist said that the insecurity and instability caused by the rise of the Taliban would cause problems for all neighboring countries, just as the Central Asian opposition and the terrorist and extremist groups in northern Afghanistan are fighting alongside the Taliban. Neighboring countries and countries involved in Afghanistan must, under the auspices of the United Nations, resolve the issues through negotiations and the Taliban share power; but if the current situation continues, its smoke will be visible to everyone.

US Shift of Policy towards Taliban

Sadeghizadeh referred to secret negotiations between the Taliban and the United States as well as the US objective behind holding secret talks and said: The US entered Afghanistan in line with its own interests; it did not enter the country for the sake of the Afghan people nor it pulled out for their sake. As the United States entered into negotiations with the Taliban, it sought to serve its own interests by negotiating with them.

He added: In fact, the Taliban have not changed, but the US policy has required entering into negotiations with them. If the Taliban have really found the language of diplomacy and dialogue, why they do not enter into meaningful negotiations for peace with the Afghan people and the system! The Taliban know nothing but the language of war, and those who want to dominate the Taliban over the Afghan people once again have the opportunity to pretend that the Taliban has changed!

Expectations of Afghan people on the path to stability

Sadeghizadeh Nili, commenting over expectations of the Afghan people for stability and peace in this country said: The people of Afghanistan, as a mujahed and Muslim nation that defeated the Soviet superpower and saved the world from the danger of Marxism and Communism, expect the neighboring and refugee hosting countries, which have warmly embraced millions of our refugees in the most difficult circumstances, that those countries having influence over Afghanistan to consider the public interest of the Afghan people.

Need to try to bring Taliban to negotiating table

The Afghan political activist stressed: Those countries should force a group that knows no language other than killing people and destruction to enter into meaningful negotiations with a system that represents the people of Afghanistan and create a system that is acceptable to the people of that country. All the facilities, buildings and schools that people built with great difficulty have been destroyed! This group must be pressured not to turn Afghanistan into a ruin again. Certainly, in that case, the neighboring countries will be involved in the consequences of that situation first.

He also criticized countries for arming the Taliban and providing financial assistance, saying: Today, the Taliban have more advanced weapons than the Afghan government, and the limited amount of the weapons that the government has at its disposal are sufficiently available to the Taliban. Were it not for the external support of that group, they certainly would not have reached the current position.

Saying that unfortunately all the Taliban leaders and their councils are present in Afghanistan’s southern neighboring country, and their wounded are being treated in that country, Sadeghizadeh added: It is certainly being accused of providing military facilities to the Taliban.

He considered position of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Afghanistan as positive and effective and expressed hope that Iran could use this opportunity to establish peace and reconciliation in that country, adding: Iran was a sincere and reliable friend of the Afghan people during the jihad period. We hope that it will continue to stand by the people of Afghanistan and use its influence to take a step towards peace in Afghanistan so that it can be also safe from the consequences of extremism in that country and the influx of refugees.