Kabul mayor: Taliban need help governing cities

The mayor of Kabul said Wednesday that the Taliban have very limited experience in running a country, calling on the insurgent group to form an “inclusive government” based on input from experts.

Mohammad Daoud Sultanzoy, who has remained in Kabul following the Taliban takeover, told CNN on Thursday that he was “working for the people of Kabul,” whom he noted do not currently have a functioning government. 

The mayor said that while the Taliban have consolidated power, the group’s leaders have “very little experience in running a government.”

“They’re in charge, they’re in power, but they need to have a functioning government that has experts and administrative and economic and technical know-how,” he said. “And we have to wait and see what kind of people they will put in the government. That will be the litmus test.”

“What I did in staying in Kabul, I have thrown the ball in their court, telling them, ‘We’re here, and if you want an inclusive government, you better prove it by bringing the right people,’” he added.

Taliban leaders have attempted to portray themselves as more moderate than they were when they ruled over Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001, when the regime held widespread executions against citizens and granted few rights to women and girls. 

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Wednesday that women under the Taliban’s new government in Afghanistan will have “all the rights that Islam promises,” adding “they can be doctors, teachers, be educated and can work to benefit society.”

Questions remain on other elements of a future Taliban government, which is still under negotiations by leaders. 

Two Turkish officials told Reuters Wednesday that the Taliban have asked Turkey for help in running the Kabul airport after foreign forces depart following the completion of evacuations.

However, the Taliban as part of its request also called on Turkey’s military to fully withdraw by Tuesday, the deadline President Biden has said he is sticking to for the completion of evacuations of Americans and Afghan allies. 

A senior Turkish official told Reuters that any technical support provided in running the Kabul airport would be difficult without Turkish troops there, explaining, “Ensuring the safety of workers without the Turkish Armed Forces is a risky job.” 

Security concerns around the Kabul airport have grown, especially after multiple explosions were reported in the area on Thursday, with the Pentagon confirming a number of U.S. and civilian casualties. 

One source confirmed to The Hill the explosion was the result of a suicide bombing.