Abdul Kabir, the Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister, declared on Sunday in Khost province that international pressure from Western and regional nations to alter the Taliban's conduct has been ineffective.
He called on countries to initiate dialogue and foster "positive and constructive relations" with the Taliban.
Simultaneously, he issued a stern warning, that any form of propaganda or military action against the Taliban would be firmly suppressed. He asserted that the reinstatement of the Taliban regime represented the desires of the Afghan populace, who actively supported the Taliban's jihad against Western forces.
Western and regional authorities have maintained that establishing official relations with the Taliban is contingent upon their adherence to human rights and disassociation from terrorist organisations.
Russia and the United States, despite their ongoing dispute over Ukraine, have jointly urged the Taliban to enter into talks with their political adversaries and strive towards forming an inclusive government.
The Russian Foreign Minister recently called on the Taliban to initiate dialogue with the National Resistance Front (NRF), an anti-Taliban armed group.
The Taliban, in turn, have perceived these requests from Russia and Western nations as undue meddling in their internal affairs and have consequently rejected them. Nevertheless, the Taliban have underlined their commitment to engaging in global dialogues to resolve existing issues in Afghanistan.
Speaking at a graduation ceremony for religious students at a jihadi seminary in Khost, Abdul Kabir emphasised that the Taliban remain open to dialogue for addressing the concerns of the international community and also highlighted that any external pressure on the group would be ineffective.
