Anti-Taliban Political Factions Declare Alignment, Excluding Armed Resistance.
Several anti-Taliban political factions announced their alignment in a virtual meeting today, emphasizing the need for a united stance to overcome Afghanistan’s current crisis.
The meeting included dozens of well-known political figures, including Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, Ata Mohammad Noor, Mohammad Younus Qanooni, Mohammad Mohaqiq, Hanif Atmar, Omar Daudzai, Ahmad Massoud, Amir Ismail Khan, Sarwar Danish, Jalil Shams, Mohammad Alam Izadyar, Mohammad Basir Anwar, Mohammad Shakir Kargar, Maulvi Habibur Rahman Syaf, Haji Batur Dostum, General Tadin Khan, Haji Almas Zahid, Bashir Ahmad Tehinj, Salamat Azimi, Khalid Pashtun, Dadullah Qana, Azizullah Kargar, Gul Mohammad Irkin, Maulvi Abdullah Qarliq, Dr. Shahjahan, Masoom Estankzai, Syed Ibrahim Imad, Mohammad Asif Sediqi, Mohammad Iqbal Safi, Ghulam Abbas Akhlaqi, Abdul Rahman Shaheedani, Qazi Abdul Rahim Rahin, Haji Jalili, Amir Mohammad Khaksar, Mohammad Sanjar Kargar, Mohammad Dawood Kalkani, Mehrdad Khan Najrabi, Dr. Thuraya Bawar, Simin Barkazi, Azra Yaban, and Saadiya Azizi.
The final statement, released in Persian, Pashto, Uzbek, and English, emphasized the “political resolution of Afghanistan’s crisis” with UN support, inter-Afghan negotiations, restoration of national sovereignty, drafting a new constitution, protection of freedoms and democracy, removal of restrictions on women’s education and work, halting forced migration, preventing opaque mineral sales, and safeguarding freedom of expression. The statement also referenced UN Security Council Resolution 2721.
No mention of armed resistance against the Taliban was included, despite some factions present, such as the National Resistance Front, being actively engaged in conflict with the Taliban.
Some sources reported that Iran played a mediating role in coordinating political factions, but the spokesperson for the National Movement for Justice, led by Hanif Atmar, denied any foreign interference.
Organizers clarified that the meeting aimed to foster political alignment and common positions, not to form a new coalition, but it represented an important step toward a unified political voice amid the current situation.
