Daoud Naji, head of the political office of the “National Freedom Front of Afghanistan,” says the Taliban is seeking to create a cover for the presence of foreign fighters in the country through a proposed asylum law.
In a message posted on X on Monday night (29 Saratan), Naji said the Taliban’s proposed law would turn Afghanistan into a “safe haven for terrorists and international criminals.”
The head of the political office of the National Freedom Front of Afghanistan said: “Through the proposed asylum law, the Taliban are seeking to create a framework and suitable conditions for thousands of foreign fighters, including members of al-Qaeda, the East Turkestan Islamic Movement, Uyghurs, and other international terrorist groups.”
Naji added: “This law would provide a suitable and secure environment in Afghanistan for all terrorists and international criminals.”
The remarks come as the Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation recently announced that it had drafted an “Asylum Law” for Afghanistan.
Last Wednesday (24 Saratan), the ministry said in a statement that the draft asylum law had been prepared through cooperation between the ministries of Refugees, Foreign Affairs, Interior, and Justice, as well as the Taliban’s intelligence agency and Supreme Court.
Abdul Rahman Rashid, the Taliban’s Minister of Refugees, said the asylum law would take into account “Islamic and Sharia-based rights, the right to seek asylum, and protection for refugees.”
However, the law has not yet been approved by the Taliban’s supreme leader, and its exact details remain unclear.
The presence of foreign fighters in Afghanistan remains a major concern for Afghan citizens, neighboring countries, and the international community.
Although the Taliban deny the presence of foreign militants in Afghanistan, the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) confirmed such concerns in one of its latest reports.
According to a SIGAR report published in August 1404 (Solar Hijri calendar), ISIS-Khorasan has approximately 2,000 fighters, the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has more than 6,000 fighters, and al-Qaeda has between 30 and 60 core members, with 12 senior leaders present in Afghanistan.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
