Loosen Rules, Taliban Promise To Give Afghans Freedom Of Travel

Afghans (Photo: Pixabay)

JAKARTA - Afghans with valid documents will be able to travel in the future whenever they want, a senior Taliban official said on Friday, August 27, in a televised address.

The speech by the senior Taliban official was aimed at dispelling concerns that the group was plotting harsh restrictions on freedoms in Afghanistan.

"Afghan's borders will be opened and people will be able to travel anytime in and out of Afghanistan," said Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, deputy head of the Taliban's political commission.

The message was delivered by the Taliban as thousands of people struggle to get the last flight to leave Kabul airport before the deadline for Western evacuation operations expires next week.

Calling for the Afghan people to unite to rebuild the country, Stanikzai said trained and educated people should return to work.

"Fields are prepared for the doctors, engineers, and teachers Afghanistan needs and for people of every profession, whether civilian or military. All are invited to start their work," he said.

The statement came after a separate statement calling for female health workers to return to work. The message underscores the Taliban's efforts to reassure Afghans and the international community that the group is not planning to reimpose tough rules like before.

The gruesome incident outside Kabul airport, when a suicide bomber killed at least 92 people on Thursday, August 26, has provided a dramatic picture of the fear many well-educated Afghans feel at the prospect of life under Taliban rule.

Afghanistan's currency has fallen, many banks are still closed, and food prices are rising rapidly. The situation has made daily life much more difficult for many Afghans since Afghanistan's official Western-backed government collapsed dramatically in mid-August.

Stanikzai stressed that the Taliban welcomes assistance from countries that want to play a positive role in Afghanistan, although it will not accept foreign interference in Afghanistan's internal affairs.