Sri Lanka has recognized the authority of the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban which fought their way to power in Afghanistan and expressed happiness at an “amnesty”’ offered by them to foreigners.
“Now that the Taliban is in power, the government of Sri Lanka requests that the law and order situation be stabilized and the safety, security and dignity of all people in Afghanistan be safeguarded,” the Sri Lanka Foreign ministry said in a statement.
“The Government of Sri Lanka is happy to note that the Taliban has offered an amnesty and promised not to harm any foreigners and requests the Taliban to continue honouring that commitment.”
It was not immediately clear why a foreigner staying legally in Afghanistan would require an amnesty from the Taliban.
The group notoriously bombed and destroyed the 6th century Buddha statues in March 2001 when they controlled the land-locked nation from 1996 till about the end of 2001.
The Islamic extremists earned universal condemnation for reducing the imposing Buddha statues to rubble in an act regarded as a crime against humanity.
The Sri Lankan foreign ministry welcomed pledges given by the Taliban which had previously flogged women in public for being teachers, beheaded alleged criminals and banned girls from schools and cut off ears of anyone who listened to music.
“The government of Sri Lanka is also happy to see the pledges given by the Taliban that the women in Afghanistan can work and girls can go to school, following the Islamic tradition,” the statement said.
However, the Taliban is yet to clarify what form of Islamic “tradition” they will follow, with the group’s leaders telling international media last week that they will not allow their daughters to go to school.
No country has yet officially recognised the Taliban regime in Kabul, but China, Iran and Russia have made statements supportive of the fundamentalists.
The first Taliban regime came to an end in 2001 when they were militarily dislodged by the United States after the group was accused of sheltering Osama Bin Laden, the master mind of the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington.
However, Washington has been in talk with Taliban representatives in Doha, Qatar for over two years to secure an orderly withdrawal of US troops scheduled to be completed by August 31.
The Taliban made a spectacular advance into Kabul and seized power last week as US troops evacuated Afghan provinces and were poised to make a complete withdrawal.
Evacuating Lankans
The foreign ministry said Sri Lanka is also “deeply concerned” about the situation in Afghanistan where 86 of its nationals have been living.
Forty six have been evacuated and another 20 are being taken out on Saturday while the balance 20 have opted to stay put.
Source:economynext