Afghanistan gathering calls for recognition of government

A three-day gathering of thousands of religious and ethnic leaders in Afghanistan ended on Saturday with attendees calling for international recognition of the Taliban-dominated government.

Since Western governments have withdrawn funding and blocked Afghan assets abroad, Afghanistan has plunged into an economic and humanitarian crisis. The problem has been exacerbated by Western pressure on Afghanistan to enact policies while keeping Afghan funds hostage.

The Taliban's leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, spoke during the gathering, congratulating participants on the Taliban's victory and the US-NATO withdrawal from the country following a two-decade-long war that left the country in shambles. Akhundzada underlined the country's independence during his speech.

During the speeches, some participants brought up the issue of girls and women's education, with Taliban's interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani answering that some governments are pressing Afghanistan on matters such as an inclusive government and education, but such issues take time.

The gathering's final statement branded ISIS, which was behind a number of recent attacks that rocked the country, as an illegal movement. The statement also said Kabul will not interfere with neighboring countries; thus, these countries should not interfere in Afghanistan's matters.

Earlier today, US officials said that Washington and Kabul will hold discussions in Qatar on Thursday about unfreezing part of Afghanistan's reserves in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake, especially after Washington allocated half of the frozen sum to 9/11 victims' families, which Taliban at the time slammed as theft and moral decline of the US.