Afghan ambassador withdraws from UN General Assembly

United Nations, Sep 28 (Prensa Latina) Afghanistan's permanent representative to the United Nations, Ghulam Muhammad Ishaqzai, said on Tuesday that he withdrew from his speech to the UN General Assembly to preserve his country's national interests and seat.

September 28, 2021
07:32

Ishaqzai was scheduled to address the plenary session on Monday, September 27, but cancelled his intention, The Khaama Press reported.

Ishaqzai, who represents the former Government of former President Ashraf Ghani, overthrew in August, was removed from the list of speakers.

The move came amid claims for Afghanistan’s seat to the United Nations in New York, after the Taliban conquered the country in mid-August, Al Jazeera informed.

President Ghani fled abroad when the radical Islamic fundamentalist armed group retook the country 20 years after being ousted from power in 2001 by the US-led invasion under the pretext of fighting terrorism.

Last week, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi asked to address the United Nations and appointed Suhail Shaheen, spokesman for the Taliban Political Office in Doha, as his country’s Ambassador to the UN.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received a letter signed by Muttaqi, which stated that following the overthrow of the US-backed Afghan Government, Ishaqzai no longer represents the Central Asian nation.

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