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Militant group’s leader says structure ‘not fully clear’, explaining there should be ‘a fully Islamic leadership

Wednesday, August 18th, 2021 00:00 | By
Taliban fighters patrol along a street in Kabul, as the Taliban moved to quickly restart the Afghan capital following their stunning takeover of Kabul and told government staff to return to work. Photo/AFP/File

Kabul, Tuesday

Normality has returned to Kabul, capital of Afghanistan as the Taliban on Tuesday  urged the government employees to return to work, two days after the group took control of the capital.

Declaring a general amnesty, the Taliban urged all to start routine life with confidence. It also urged women to join its government.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that the situation in Kabul was completely under control and law and order returned to the city.

Mujahid reiterated that life and properties of people were safe as there are reports that the Taliban has arrested about 200 people involved in looting of government properties and vehicles.

 The Taliban leadership has ordered its members and “once again instructs them that no one is allowed to enter anyone’s house without permission.

Life, property and honour of none shall be harmed but must be protected,” Mujahid said.

Late on Monday, flight of military transport planes was resumed and dozens of flights were conducted all the night, according to residents living around the airport.

The planes were evacuating foreigners and some of their Afghan workers. The flight suspended on Monday morning after a big rush of people at the airport.

Taliban members on Monday took control of the outside of Kabul airport while thousands of U.S. forces were inside the airport helping evacuating the crowds.

At least 10 Afghans were reportedly killed in the stampede and a shooting inside the airport within the past two days.

On Monday, the offices of the Afghan Public Health Ministry and the Kabul municipality were reopened.

Wahid Majrooh, acting minister of public health, appeared together with Taliban public health representatives in a televised footage, urging medical workers to return to their jobs, including female medical employees.

Small shops were also reopened around the city while banks and business centers mostly remained closed as of Tuesday morning. 

US President Joe Biden on Monday stood by his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan while acknowledging Kabul’s collapse to the Taliban came much sooner than Washington had anticipated.

“I stand squarely behind my decision,” said Biden in a televised speech from the White House.

“The truth is this did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated.” The speech came one day after the Taliban completed a stunningly swift takeover of the war-torn country’s capital of Kabul on Sunday after Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani left the country.

“If anything, the developments of the past week reinforced that ending U.S. military involvement in Afghanistan, now, was the right decision,” said Biden who returned to the White House from Camp David ahead of schedule. - Agencies

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