According to informed sources, the Embassy of Afghanistan in Kuwait has been handed over to a Taliban diplomat during the current week. The sources say that the new Taliban representative has assumed duties at this diplomatic mission, replacing Sayed Jawad Hashimi, the ambassador of the former Afghan government.
Based on information from these sources, Mawlawi Mohammad Shafiq Khatib has been appointed as the Taliban’s ambassador to Kuwait and has officially begun his work. He previously served in the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs as Head of Consular Affairs and also as Head of Borders.
This development comes as the Taliban have, in recent years, sought to expand their presence in Afghanistan’s diplomatic missions abroad. Earlier, Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s Foreign Minister, stated that the group maintains diplomatic relations with around 20 countries and that Taliban diplomats are active in several Afghan embassies and missions overseas.
The transfer of the Afghan Embassy in Kuwait to the Taliban coincides with growing discussions and reactions regarding the normalization of relations with the group. In recent months, some countries and international organizations have taken steps toward increased engagement with the Taliban.
However, critics argue that normalizing relations with the Taliban may amount to legitimizing the group, a process they believe is being pursued without sufficient attention to human rights conditions and the widespread restrictions on the rights and freedoms of Afghan citizens.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
