US urges Taliban to take steps to gain international legitimacy

Kabul: The spokesman for the US State Department, Matthew Miller, said Washington would continue to call on the 'Taliban' to take steps to gain international legitimacy, TOLO News reported.

He made the remarks at a press conference in Washington, DC.

He said, "We continue to call on the Taliban to take steps to gain international legitimacy, to stop the crackdown on the legitimate expression by its own people, and that's what we've done and what we'll continue to do."

He also responded to a question regarding the fate of Afghan allies who worked with the US but are still stranded in Afghanistan, saying: "We have been working very hard to accelerate those cases and work through the backlog, and we'll continue to do so."

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said they are committed to all pledges they made with the international community.
"The Islamic Emirate... is committed to the rights of the people and also international laws. It has fulfilled the promises for recognition of the country. Unfortunately, some countries are bringing up their political and personal wishes under various pretexts," he said, as reported by TOLO News.

Weighing in on the matter, political analyst Saleem Paigeer said, "The Islamic Emirate... should take concrete steps so that the international community recognises us. We should put aside our ego and act in a way to draw in the international community."

The Taliban-appointed deputy prime minister for political affairs earlier said the Islamic Emirate will not compromise Islam or the rights of people for international recognition.