Taliban Calls on International Community to Recognize It

A senior Taliban leader called on the international community to recognize it as the official Afghan government.

Frustration is growing among the Islamists, as the Taliban regime is still not recognized by any country in the world since it seized power again last year.

Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani told a crowd in Khost province that it is good for the international community to establish diplomatic relations with Afghanistan.

"Tomorrow, if they need me on an issue, based on which principles and formalities will they talk with me?" He also asked the United States to release billions of dollars of Afghan assets frozen in Western banks.

In return, the Taliban leader said a previous deal with the US that the world would face no threat from Afghanistan would be honored.

The al-Qaeda terrorist network was based in Afghanistan during the previous Taliban regime and helped plan the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States from there.

Haqqani is the most powerful military leader of the Taliban. He heads the notorious Haqqani Network, which has been behind some of the deadliest attacks on civilians and US forces in Afghanistan after they were first ousted in 2001.

The international community has urged the Taliban to form a representative government and respect human and women's rights before seeking any legitimacy.