Taliban nominee requests for UN Afghanistan's envoy seat

The United Nations should hand the seat of the Afghan ambassador over to the new government of the country, the nominee of the Taliban to the UN, Suhail Shaheen said on Friday.

No country has yet recognized the Taliban rule in Afghanistan. On Thursday, Ghulam Isaczai, who had been appointed Afghanistan's envoy to the UN by now-ousted President Ashraf Ghani and remained at the position even after the Taliban takeover, resigned, according to Sputnik.

Ashraf Ghani government's permanent mission to the UN introduced Naseer Ahmad Faiq as the new charge d'affaires.

"UN is an August World Body and its credibility lies in its neutrality. I request it to prove its neutrality by giving the seat of Afghanistan at UN to the current government in Afghanistan which has sovereignty and writ all over the country," Shaheen said on Twitter.

Rules shall "supersede political preferences," otherwise UN impartiality will be called into question, he added.

In September, the Taliban addressed the UN, informing them that Isaczai's mission had been completed and "he no longer represents Afghanistan."

The Taliban further informed the United Nations that Shaheen had been nominated as Afghanistan's permanent representative to the UN and requested they proceed with his approval, Sputnik reported.

Responding to Taliban requests, the UN General Assembly in December adopted a resolution to postpone a decision on who will represent Afghanistan at the UN, refusing to provide international recognition of the "de facto" Taliban authority in Afghanistan and replace the envoy appointed by the "democratically-elected government."

Isaczai has repeatedly criticized the Taliban after their seizure of power in Afghanistan. Speaking at the Security Council meeting on the situation in Afghanistan in August, Isaczai recalled the atrocities of the Taliban regime and its crackdown on human rights, urging the international community to prevent Afghanistan from turning into a pariah statem, reported Sputnik.

The Taliban movement regained power in Afghanistan in August, following weeks of successful advance towards Kabul, facing little to no resistance. In early September, the Taliban announced the restoration of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan headed by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, a prominent member of the first Taliban government. Thousands of Afghans attempted to flee their homeland, fearful of Taliban cruelty and the deprivation of their rights and freedoms.

( With inputs from ANI )

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