Taliban justify recognition to Chechen govt

ISLAMABAD (NNI): The ruling Taliban in Afghanistan have said that it is the right of every independent and sovereign country that its government and rule be recognized. This is naturally their demand and an important moral achievement for them in their struggle as war has always been imposed on them.

"The Chechens were insisting since long that the Russians had held talks with them on the issue of independence and it became clear that Chechnya was an independent country and therefore it should be recognized by different countries including the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and that is why, Mulla Muhammad Omar accepted their demand", said Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel in an interview with the BBC.

He said that it depends on future as to what kind of consensus is made between the two governments. At present, they can officially restore their diplomatic relations with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Commenting on the Russians allegations that Taliban have since long been maintaining relations with the Chechen Muslims, Mutawakel said "No doubt, people have relations with one another but these relations are not like that as are being interpreted or presented by the Russians to justify their wrong doing. The Russians are unleashing baseless and false propaganda for the purpose, he said.

"The Russians are using the new terminology of terrorism for the massacre of the entire Chechen nation. "We have always stated that there is no shift in our policy. It is their right and to be given to them. So far as total support to them is concerned, the internal problems in our country may not allow us to give them the legitimate right, they are deserving for. However, so far as the issue of recognition is concerned, it does not mean interference or entering into the process, Mutawakel said.