By John Ikani
The Taliban has assured that women’s rights and press freedom will be protected in its new government.
The group gave the assurance at its first news conference, hours after it retook power in the Afghan capital, conquering almost all the country’s 34 provinces in just over a week’s time.
“We are going to allow women to work and study. We have got frameworks, of course. Women are going to be very active in the society but within the framework of Islam,” Zabihullah Mujahid, the group’s spokesman, said at a press conference in Kabul on Tuesday.
When asked how the new Taliban government will differ from the previous one, Mujahid said the group has evolved and will not take the same actions they did in the past.
According to him: “There will be a difference when it comes to the actions we are going to take compared with 20 years ago.
“We are committed to the media within our cultural frameworks. Private media can continue to be free and independent. They can continue their activities”.
He also said the group has no plans to enter the homes of people or carry out retaliatory attacks on anyone who served in the previous governments, worked with foreigners or were part of the Afghan National Security Forces.
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