The Taliban announced that they had taken control of the entire Panjshir Province, which was the last area in Afghanistan controlled by forces opposed to the movement.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Monday morning that the movement has expanded its control over the northeastern provinces of Afghanistan, thus completing control of the entire country before announcing a new government.
Later, Mujahid appeared at a press conference in Kabul, announcing that the Afghan war “officially ended” after taking control of Panjshir, and assured the people of the province that they would not suffer any discrimination.
The Taliban released pictures and videos showing leaders and fighters of the movement entering the city of Pazarak in the center of Panjshir. Some of them stood in front of the governor’s residence and raised the flag of the organization.
On the other hand, sources in the former government of Afghanistan told Al Jazeera that Amrullah Saleh, the vice president of Ashraf Ghani, who supported the opposition to the Taliban, left Panjshir for Tajikistan. In the middle of last month, after the Taliban entered Kabul, Ghani went to Abu Dhabi, where Saleh declared that he was the legitimate president of the country.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent in the capital Kabul, Hamdi Bakari, said the Taliban had confirmed its control of the police headquarters and the governor’s residence in Pazarak City in the center of Panjshir.
He pointed out that opposition soldiers have surrendered to the Taliban, and others have taken refuge in the mountains of this province known for its rugged terrain.
On the other hand, the British Ministry of Defence confirmed that the Taliban controlled the entire territory of Afghanistan, but said that Panjshir’s situation is not yet clear.
The British Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a warning on the human rights situation in Panjshir Province and urged the Taliban to abide by international law. The ministry added that the actions of the Afghan rulers will determine how Britain will deal with it.
A few hours ago, the Taliban rejected the initiative put forward by the local leader Ahmed Masood, that the Taliban withdrew from the province, the two sides stopped fighting and held talks. At that time, the Taliban had control of all 7 areas in the province.
On the Facebook page of the “People’s Uprising” movement, Masood welcomed the Ulima Committee’s negotiation proposal to end the Panjshir battle. Earlier, Afghan media reported that the Ulima Committee, composed of religious scholars, called on the Taliban to accept negotiations to resolve the Panjshir crisis peacefully and stop fighting.
In response to Masood’s proposal, a spokesperson for the Taliban Political Office said, “Ahmed Masood rejected our peace proposal two weeks ago and there is nothing to negotiate with him,” referring to the Taliban’s launch of a campaign against Panjshir Province a few days ago. Before the attack, efforts were made to control the area peacefully, but the local leaders refused to surrender without a fight.
Sources told Al Jazeera that Fahim Dashti, a spokesman for Ahmed Masood’s office, was killed in the clashes in Panjshir.
New government
On the other hand, a Taliban official told Al Jazeera that the movement has completed the procedures for announcing the new government, and the leader of the movement, Haibatullah Ahunzada, will continue to hold his post and lead the new government.
The official added that the movement will announce a system acceptable to the international community and the Afghan people, noting that Turkey, China, Russia, Iran, Pakistan, and Qatar are invited to participate in the government’s announcement day.
Muhammad Naim, spokesman for the Taliban Political Office, said that the leader of the movement will be the Emir of Afghanistan, and the prime minister has not yet been determined.
Naim added that efforts to form a government are still continuing, and government members may be announced within a few days. Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the head of the political bureau of the movement, said two days ago that the movement is forming an inclusive government that represents all the people of Afghanistan.
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