Taliban say former Afghan govt envoy to UN can't represent Afghanistan

The former Afghan government's ambassador to the UN can't represent Afghanistan and the Afghan people, and the current interim government has what it takes to represent the country at the UN, Suhail Shaheen, the spokesman of Taliban Political Office in Qatar, told CGTN on Monday in an exclusive interview.

Monica Grayley, a spokeswoman for the UN General Assembly's president, said that Ghulam Isaczai, who represented ousted President Ashraf Ghani's government, pulled out of delivering an address to world leaders at the assembly on Monday.

"The country withdraws its participation in the general debate," Grayley confirmed to AFP.

She added that Afghanistan's mission to the UN had not cited a reason for the withdrawal.

The Taliban wrote a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last week requesting that its new foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, be allowed to "participate." The letter said that Isaczai "no longer represents" Afghanistan at the global body.

The assembly is expected to be asked to vote in November on which of the competing delegations represent Afghanistan and Myanmar at the UN.

（AFP）