Photo: RTA

Foreign drones still flying in Afghanistan’s airspace, says Taliban deputy foreign minister

Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban deputy foreign minister, said on Friday that foreign drones, including those of neighbouring countries, are still flying in Afghanistan’s airspace.

Speaking at an Ashura mourning gathering in Kabul, Stanekzai explained that the Taliban does not yet have the capacity to prevent this because nothing has left. “We can prevent it when we join hands together and make our country technically and defensively strong.”

He also touched on the Taliban’s continued ban on women and girls’ education.

“I hope the door of the schools will be reopened for all Afghans without any discrimination. There are some arguments. We know the society. If you go to the villages you will find five people agree with the reopening of the schools and two people are against it,” he said.

“There are problems in every area. You also don’t expect a home that has been damaged for the past 40 years can be reconstructed in 20 days or two years,” he added.

Previously, Mullah Yaqoob, the Taliban defence minister, also mentioned the ongoing occupation of Afghanistan’s airspace, highlighting that US drones might enter Afghanistan through Pakistan’s airspace for potential attacks.