Those in power in Kabul came first with few details of what would happen at the gathering of tribal leaders, scribes and other influential people. Apparently, most of them were Taliban and their supporters.

But the Taliban have promised that criticism will be tolerated, and that difficult issues such as schools for girls after sixth grade will be addressed.

The media were not allowed to enter what was the biggest political rally since taking power last year. But the speech was broadcast on state radio. Among the highlights was a rare performance by the withdrawn Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, who mostly lives in Kandahar.

Loyalty is sworn

The Taliban authorities have presented the meeting as an opportunity for Muslim clerics to express their views on how to govern Afghanistan. But the closing remarks after the meeting, in which more than 3,000 elected people gathered, were largely an affront to the Taliban’s own doctrine.

It advocates adherence to the Akhundzada, loyalty to the Taliban and full acceptance of Islamic law as a fundamental guiding principle.

“By God’s grace, the Islamic system has come to power in Afghanistan,” the statement said on Saturday.

Girls’ rights

– We not only support it, we also want to keep it. We consider this a national and religious obligation of all nations, further stated in the final declaration.

Since the Taliban regained power in August, the movement’s strict interpretation of sharia law has led to strict restrictions on Afghans – especially women.

The rebel movement had previously refused girls to go to school after sixth grade. This was a violation of the promise they had made that all girls of all ages would receive an education.

The Taliban have also restricted women’s right to drive and demanded that they be covered from head to toe.

Don’t say girl

They also banned non-religious music and human figures in commercials, and ordered TV channels to stop broadcasting films and series with veiled women. Men have been told to wear traditional clothes and let their beards grow.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Friday called on the Taliban to seek inspiration from other Muslim countries on how to improve women’s rights in religious matters.

In the final statement from Kabul, there was not a word about the girls’ school. But the government was asked to pay “special attention” to modern education, as well as justice and minority rights – “in the light of Islamic law”.

Want recognition

Furthermore, it is said that the new government has brought security to the nation. This is despite the fact that two gunmen attacked at a meeting on Thursday. ISIS, which has carried out a series of attacks in Afghanistan since the Taliban occupied Kabul, claims to be behind it.

Furthermore, the meeting participants asked the world community to recognize the Taliban government. They condemned all armed opposition and called on Afghan politicians in exile to return home.

“Repeal all sanctions against Afghanistan, fund the Afghan people and support our country,” he said.

Economy Crysis

Afghanistan is a country hit by a deep economic crisis. The United States has frozen nearly $7 billion that Afghan authorities have in foreign accounts.

US officials were reluctant to give the Taliban direct access to the money. But talks are ongoing in Qatar to see if any funds can be issued to help tens of thousands of people affected by the earthquake in eastern Afghanistan in June.

Even before the earthquake, Afghanistan was in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. Many aid organizations left the country along with the last Western troops when the Taliban came to power in August last year.

The United Nations estimates that 97 percent of the country’s roughly 38 million people live below the poverty line and has long warned that Afghanistan could be on the verge of starvation.