Coming To Kabul And Attending Thousands Of Members Gathering: Taliban Leader Accepts Pledge Of Allegiance, Praises 2021 Victory

JAKARTA - Afghanistan's supreme leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhundzada, praised his group's 2021 takeover of Afghanistan during a meeting on Friday, which called for forging national unity and was attended by religious leaders from across the country.

A Taliban spokesman confirmed that Akhundzada, who is based in the southern city of Kandahar, had come to the capital Kabul for a gathering of about 3,000 men.

After accepting pledges of allegiance from participants who raised their hands, Akhundzada hailed the Taliban's victory last August, which marked the end of a 20-year struggle to overthrow the western-backed government and drive US-led forces from the country.

"The success of the Afghan jihad is not only a matter of pride for Afghans but also for Muslims around the world," he said according to the state-run Bakhtar News Agency, using an Arabic word meaning spiritual struggle.

When the Taliban launched its interim government in September, the mysterious Akhundzada retained the role he has held since 2016 as supreme leader, the group's highest authority, but he is rarely seen in public.

His speech at a gathering of religious leaders came a week after a deadly earthquake hit eastern Afghanistan, exposing the Taliban's lack of reliable support from the international community.

It is known that the Afghan economy has fallen into crisis, as Western governments have withdrawn funds and strict sanctions, saying that the Taliban government needs to change course on human and women's rights.

In a speech, Akhundzada called on traders to return and invest in the country, saying foreign aid cannot build the economy and will make Afghans more dependent on foreign money.

"Alhamdulillah, we are now an independent country. (Foreigners) should not give us orders, that is our system and we have our own decisions," he said according to Bakhtar.

"We have a relationship of devotion to one God, we can't take orders from others that God doesn't like," he said.

He said the group wanted peace and security and that neighboring countries had nothing to fear.

Meanwhile, deputy Taliban chief and acting interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani spoke at the meeting on Friday, saying the world demands inclusive government and education, and the issue takes time.

This gathering is about trust, interaction, we are here to make our future according to Islam and for the national interest, he said.