Yasin Zia: Resistance in Badakhshan proves Taliban has failed to silence opposition

Yasin Zia: Resistance in Badakhshan proves Taliban has failed to silence opposition

Yasin Zia, leader of the Afghan Liberation Front, says recent clashes in Zibak district of Badakhshan province have shown that the Taliban’s claim of a complete end to armed resistance is not in line with the current realities.

Referring to the recent operation by the Freedom Front forces against Taliban positions in Zibak district, he said that this event proved that organizing resistance inside Afghanistan is still possible.

In an interview with the English-language media outlet “Amrgi,” Zia emphasized that armed struggle is not the ultimate goal for the Freedom Front, but rather a means to break the monopoly of power and pave the way for an inclusive political process.

“Our ultimate goal is to end the war, restore people’s sovereignty, and establish a system in which the transfer of power is carried out through votes and the law, not by gun or the will of an individual, a tribe, a religion, or a group.”

The Freedom Front leader also clarified that the fight against the Taliban is not an ethnic war and that the Taliban do not represent any ethnic group in Afghanistan. According to him, the victims and opponents of the Taliban are from all ethnic groups in the country and the main problem is the monopoly of power in the hands of an ideological circle.

Zia called on all opposition movements to put aside their differences and focus on common principles such as ending Taliban rule, restoring the will of the people, preserving territorial integrity, ensuring the rights of women and ethnic groups, and creating an accountable military.

He added that the Freedom Front is ready to cooperate with all political, civil, and military movements that believe in these principles and warned that the continued dispersion of the opposition will benefit the Taliban.

The Freedom Front leader described Badakhshan as one of the historical centers of resistance in Afghanistan and said that the recent events in Zibak district, in addition to their military importance, also showed from a political and psychological perspective that resistance within the country still has the capacity and possibility.

He also stressed that the security of civilians must be at the center of any military action, adding that the struggle will only be sustainable when the people see themselves as part of it.

Zia also called the Taliban’s restrictions on women a serious blow to the future of Afghanistan and said that women should have a real and effective role in the political, judicial, security, educational, economic and national negotiations spheres in the future system.

He concluded by noting that the Freedom Front does not reject the principle of dialogue, but emphasizes that principles such as people’s sovereignty, women’s fundamental rights, equality of citizens, civil liberties and independence of the judiciary are non-negotiable. According to him, only issues such as the structure of the system, the distribution of powers and the transitional period can be discussed.