Taliban gives sneak-peek at 'Constitution'; hints citizens may vote & could have rights

Afghan media outlet Aamaj News has on Friday received a draft of the 'Constitution of the Taliban' based on the principles of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Although the Taliban have not yet commented on the draft, the re-written constitution has three chapters and two articles. As per the 'Constitution of the Taliban' draft, the old flag of Afghanistan will no longer represent the war-torn country but the white flag (Taliban's flag) will. 

The Constitution of the Taliban also states that Pashto will be the national language of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The Constitution of the Taliban also announced holidays on Fridays and the two Eids (Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha). Apart from this, the draft mentioned that Afghanistan will also observe holidays on the day when 'foreigners were expelled from the country and the 'day of independence'. It is pertinent to mention that Afghanistan fell to the Taliban on August 15. 

The main points of the 'Constitution of Taliban' draft are as follows: 

•     The only guide to laws and politics is Hanafi jurisprudence
•     The legitimacy of the system of allegiance and voting (which )
•     Arabic is taught in secondary schools
•     The color of the Afghan flag is white
•     Military obligations will be regulated by law
•     Pashto and Dari are the official languages of the country and Pashto will be the national language
•     The government is committed to the development of Islamic sciences and the establishment of religious schools
•     On Friday, the two Eids, the days of the foreigners who have been expelled from the country by defeat and the day of independence is a holiday, the other holidays will be regulated by law.
•     All citizens of Afghanistan have equal rights without discrimination

Taliban takeover of Afghanistan

After the Taliban stormed into Kabul on August 15, Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani resigned and fled the country with his associates. Since then, several persons have lost their lives in the chaos at the Hamid Karzai International Airport with thousands of people desperately tried to flee the country. This includes the death of at least 169 Afghans, 11 US Marines, a US Navy sailor, and a US Army soldier in a suicide bombing at the Abbey Gate of the Kabul airport on August 26. This led to US airstrikes on terrorists belonging to ISIS-K that claimed responsibility for this attack.

On August 31, the Taliban gained control of the Kabul airport after the last batch of US troops left Afghanistan. Though the Taliban promised to form an "inclusive" government to run Afghanistan, it announced a 33-member caretaker Cabinet which neither has women nor mainstream politicians from previous regimes. While Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund, the chief of the Taliban's Rehbari Shura, is the new Prime Minister, he has two deputies in Mullah Baradar and Mawlavi Hanafi. Meanwhile, Taliban founder Mullah Omar's son Mullah Yaqoob has been named the Defence Minister. However, this government has not been seen in any united form since its announcement; rather it is believed that the Pakistan-backed Haqqanis have brawled with Baradar and co.

(Image: AP)