Taliban Cultural Commission member Abdul Qahar Balkhi has called for the countries to unite and fight climate change.

Balkhi also called for the recognition of the group’s new government in Afghanistan.

“We hope not only to be recognized by regional countries . . . but the entire world at large as the legitimate representative government of the people of Afghanistan,” Balkhi told Newsweek Monday.

“We believe the world has a unique opportunity of rapprochement and coming together to tackle the challenges not only facing us but the entire humanity.

“These challenges ranging from world security and climate change need the collective efforts of all.”

The Taliban is currently trying to cement control over the country. According to Swedish climate correspondent Erika Bjerström, the Taliban was able to take over Afghanistan thanks to climate change.

Bjerström said that climate change had shrunk the country’s glaciers and interfered with crops and livestock in rural communities. This forced farmers to take out loans with local clan leaders.

As a result, some farmers who were too poor to pay the loans resorted to selling their daughters to local warlords. The Taliban took advantage of the situation.

“In the resentment that arises when people feel abandoned by the country’s government, local Taliban have easily been able to create opinion against the country’s rule,” Bjerström said as quoted by Swedish news outlet SVT.

“It is not known how the new Taliban government views the climate issue or food security, nor whether the Taliban intend to come to the negotiating table at the COP26 meeting in Glasgow. If they show up, it will offer a serious diplomatic dilemma for the UN.”

Newsweek Pakistan

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Newsweek Pakistan is published by AG Publications, a company wholly owned by Associated Group , under license from Newsweek LLC. (wikipedia)


Taliban

The Taliban or Taleban , who refer to themselves as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan , is a Deobandi Islamist movement and military organization in Afghanistan, (wikipedia)


Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan was an Islamic state established in September 1996, when the Taliban began their governance of Afghanistan after the fall of Kabul. At its peak, (wikipedia)


United States invasion of Afghanistan

The United States invasion of Afghanistan occurred after the September 11 attacks in late 2001 and was supported by close US allies which had officially began the War on Terror. (wikipedia)