KABUL: Taliban spokesperson Ahmadullah Muttaki on Tuesday said that preparations for the announcement of the new Afghanistan government's formation have been completed, Sputnik reported.
Earlier, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the decision-making process on the formation of a new Afghan government has been completed, with technical issues remaining, the Russian News Agency reported.
It further reported that according to the Taliban spokesperson, the government in Afghan will be announced shortly.
Meanwhile, there have been conflicting reports of Panjshir, the last Afghan province to fall under the control of the Taliban as National Resistance Forces (NRF) have rejected the claim. On August 15, the Taliban entered Kabul, which led to the collapse of the US-supported civilian government.
The Taliban on Sunday said that the new Afghanistan government is expected to be announced soon and it will be "an inclusive government." However, the Taliban has been delaying the announcement of the government formation in Afghanistan over the past few days.
While the group has not issued a statement over it yet, reports have emerged claiming that the government formation has been delayed due to differences between the Taliban and the Haqqani network over power-sharing.
Mujahid on Monday expressed that the group "desires" to join the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
He also informed that the Taliban will address Islamabad's concerns about Pakistan based terror group 'Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan' (TTP), Samaa News reported.
Mujahid also confirmed that an upcoming meeting between Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Chief Lt General Faiz Hameed and Taliban senior leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar.
CPEC is a part of China's most ambitious project 'Belt and Road Initiative', aimed at renewing the country's historic trade routes in the coastal countries of south-east Asia.
In 2015, China announced the 'China Pakistan Economic Corridor' (CPEC) project which is worth USD 46 billion.
With CPEC, Beijing aims to expand its influence in Pakistan and across Central and South Asia in order to counter the influence of the United States and India.
The CPEC would link Pakistan's southern Gwadar port (626 kilometers west of Karachi) in Balochistan on the Arabian Sea to China's western Xinjiang region. It also includes plans to create road, rail, and oil pipeline links to improve connectivity between China and the Middle East.
These developments came amid reports suggest that ISI has supported the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan.
"Islamabad has played an important role in the formation of the Taliban, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) is their creator and supporter," Author Sergio Restelli reported on the InsideOver news website.
The creation of the Taliban was Islamabad's attempt to gain hold in Kabul as a part of its strategic plan to gain hold in the region, Restelli added.
Several reports also claim that ISI had deployed its "cooperation agents" with the Taliban who have been involved in takeover of Afghanistan.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) president met with the Taliban leadership on Monday to discuss the charity's plans to expand aid to the Afghan people.
On Sunday, Maurer arrived in Afghanistan for a three-day visit. The ICRC head is set to visit medical and rehabilitation centres, supported by the organization, and meet with Afghan authorities.
"I met today with Mullah Baradar and the Taliban leadership. We spoke about @ICRC's plans to scale our life-saving work across #Afghanistan. Neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian action is the basis of our work," Maurer tweeted.
The ICRC has served the Afghan people for thirty years and is not going to stop its activities in the country, the Red Cross chief added.
Following a weeks-long offensive, the Taliban took over Kabul on August 15, prompting the civilian government to fall. By August 31, the United States completed its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending the twenty-year military presence in the country. Earlier on Monday, the Taliban announced that they had seized the northeastern province of Panjshir, which was the last stronghold out of militants' control, a claim denied by the resistance.
Meanwhile, a group of women held a protest in Balkh province on Monday calling to preserve the achievements of the past 20 years and demanding women's representation in the future government in Afghanistan.
These developments came as the Taliban is expected to form government in the near future.
The protestors expressed that Afghan women should have active participation in the government and added that "the new government will be senseless without women," The Khaama Press reported citing protesting women.
A video posted by Tolo News also showed these women carrying placards and raising slogans demanding to include women in the government.
Earlier on Friday, Afghan women activists also staged a protest in Kabul, seeking equal rights and ensuring decision-making roles for them in political life in the country that has been taken over by the Taliban.
The Taliban on Sunday said that the new Afghanistan government is expected to be announced soon and it will be "an inclusive government." The Taliban, which captured Kabul on August 15, has been delaying the announcement of the government formation in Afghanistan over the past few days.
While the group has not issued a statement over it yet, reports have emerged claiming that the government formation has been delayed due to differences between the Taliban and the Haqqani network over power-sharing.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the top Taliban leader who is set to head the new Afghan regime, was injured during the clash and is currently getting treated in Pakistan.
The US and Qatar on Saturday discussed developments in Afghanistan post the Taliban takeover while the war-torn nation is still waiting for the formation of the new government.
Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held talks in Doha with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, they spoke about Afghanistan after the seizure of power in the country by the Taliban, the Qatari Emir's office said in a statement, reported Sputnik.
"They discussed the development of events in Afghanistan and the efforts being made to strengthen security and stability in that country," the office said.
It said the ministers conveyed to the Emir of Qatar the gratitude and appreciation of the US President for the efforts of Qatar to support the peace process in Afghanistan and the key role in the evacuation of US citizens, citizens of allied countries and Afghans from the country, as well as for peace talks in Doha between the Taliban and the United States, and Qatar's diplomatic role in maintaining peace in the region, reported Sputnik.
"I expressed our gratitude for Qatar's remarkable support of the safe transit of hundreds of US citizens and tens of thousands of Afghans and other evacuees from Afghanistan," Blinken informed in a tweet.
Blinken has travelled to Qatar from September 6-8 to thank the government officials in person for the outstanding support in the safe transit of US citizens, Afghans and other evacuees from Afghanistan.
The United States has thanked several countries including India for their "generous offers" to help in a variety of ways regarding the relocation efforts for at-risk Afghans during critical evacuation operations from Afghanistan.
The United States forces left Afghanistan on Tuesday morning, marking the end of a chaotic and messy exit from America's longest war.
In total, the United States and its partners relocated more than 124,000 people to safety, including 6,000 US citizens.