Taliban take strong exception to Modi’s doubts about their ability to govern

• India will soon know that the Taliban can run the government affairs smoothly, says Dilawar.
• Dilawar warns India to avoid interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.
• Pakistan is our neighbour and a friendly country: Dilawer

KABUL: The Taliban took exception to the latest statement issued by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, doubting the group’s ability to run a government, reported Radio Pakistan Thursday.

Renowned Taliban leader, Shahabuddin Dilawar, in a conversation with Radio Pakistan, said that India will soon know that the Taliban can run the government's affairs smoothly.

The statement came as a reaction to a Tweet that the Indian premier sent last week, saying that any realm can dominate relying on terror, but only for a limited period of time but it can sustain.

“The destroying powers, the thinking that builds an empire on the basis of terror, may dominate for some time..., but, its existence is never permanent, it cannot suppress humanity for a long time,” read Modi’s Tweet.

Dilawar also warned India to avoid interfering in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

Speaking about the ties with Pakistan that the Taliban are looking forward to, the leader said that "Pakistan is our neighbour and a friendly country."

He thanked Pakistan for hosting over three million Afghan refugees and asserted that the Taliban want peaceful ties with the international community based on mutual respect.

Taliban to impose softer laws

The Taliban had completed their sweep across Afghanistan by taking over Kabul on August 15, 2021, following the culmination of a 20-year invasion with the US' withdrawal of troops.

However, the stance maintained by the Taliban since their return to Kabul suggests that they would impose their laws more softly as compared to their harsh 1996-2001 rule.

Currently, the group is in talks with Afghan leaders and politicians to form an inclusive government.