Zabihullah Mujaddidi, head of the national salvation party of Afghanistan and a former governor of Kabul, says Afghanistan is facing a sensitive and concerning situation. He warned that the country’s international isolation, economic difficulties, and political circumstances have created serious challenges for its future.
Speaking to a podcast, Mujaddidi said he was deeply concerned about the current situation in Afghanistan and believed that the views and expertise of specialists should be utilized to help address the country’s problems. He said his party had established a group of experts to develop possible solutions, but that, due to restrictions on political activities, the group has so far been unable to register officially.
Referring to the country’s economic situation, Mujaddidi said the consequences of Afghanistan’s isolation and its existing problems have made economic life increasingly difficult for many people. He said citizens approach them to raise their concerns, but because they have no executive authority, they are unable to provide jobs or offer direct assistance.
Mujaddidi, who previously served as an adviser to former Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, said he returned to Kabul from Turkey about two weeks after the collapse of the Islamic Republic, with the intention of making his experience and advice available to the Taliban administration if needed. He stressed that Afghanistan no longer has the capacity for continued warfare and said those who continue to wage war could, in his view, be used by the intelligence services of other countries.
The head of the National Salvation Party also claimed that political activity in Afghanistan is subject to serious restrictions. He said they had established a group of experts to engage in organized activities, but that the process of formally registering the group had not been completed due to changes in regulations governing the registration of political parties and organizations.
Referring to a meeting with Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, the former Taliban minister for refugees, Mujaddidi said Haqqani had conveyed that, according to Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the group did not support the establishment of structures operating under the names of Islamic parties, councils, or civil society organizations.
Asked about former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah, the former chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Mujaddidi said his meetings with them had been limited to attending funeral and condolence ceremonies for members of their families.
In recent years, a number of Afghan politicians based in Kabul have also criticized restrictions on political and social activities in the country, saying that the Taliban have paid little attention to their proposals and advice for addressing Afghanistan’s crises. Since returning to power, the Taliban have suspended or restricted the activities of many political parties and political and civil society organizations.
Writer:Roya Stanikzai
