A top Taliban official said Saturday that all Afghans who fled the country after the collapse of the former Western-backed government are free to return home, promising they will not be harmed if they come back. Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund made the amnesty offer in his message for the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of Sacrifice, the AP reports. "Come back to your ancestral land and live in an atmosphere of peace," he posted on X, along with instructions to officials to ensure returning refugees receive shelter and support.
The offer follows President Trump's announcement of sweeping travel bans on people from 12 countries, including Afghanistan. The measure largely bars Afghans hoping to resettle in the US permanently as well as those hoping to go temporarily, such as for university study. Trump also suspended a core refugee program in January, all but ending support for Afghans who had allied with the US and leaving tens of thousands of them stranded. Afghans in neighboring Pakistan who are awaiting resettlement are also dealing with a deportation drive by the Islamabad government. Almost a million have left Pakistan since October 2023 to avoid arrest and expulsion.
The holiday message also criticized the media for making what he said were false judgments about Afghanistan's Taliban rulers and their policies. "We must not allow the torch of the Islamic system to be extinguished," Akhund said, adding that the media should not minimize the accomplishments of the system. "While challenges exist, we must remain vigilant." The Taliban swept into the capital Kabul and seized most of Afghanistan in a blitz in mid-August 2021 as US and NATO forces were in the last weeks of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.
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