Rights for women, free press: What Taliban is offering to Afghanistan

The Taliban has promised a softer regime than the last time with some rights for women and a freer press

After congratulating the nation for having "expelled the foreigners", the Taliban leaders were in conciliatory mode with the world.

In their first press conference after seizing power in Afghanistan, the Taliban promised a softer regime than the last time with some rights for women and a freer press, calling on the locals to not leave the country as there is no reason for fear.

Read | The Taliban’s leaders: Worldly and ‘inclusive’ or ruthless ideologues?

Here's a look at what Taliban spokesperson Zabihllah Mujahid said at the conference to reassure people and governments across the globe.

-Mujahid said that the rights of women will be protected within the framework of Islam.

The Taliban said they would not make the full burqa compulsory for women as they did when they last ruled Afghanistan.

Under the militants' hardline 1996-2001 rule, girls' schools were closed, women were prevented from travelling and working, and women were forced to wear an all-covering burqa in public.

The government declared an 'amnesty' across the country and asked women to join the government.

-Mujahid said the war has ended and the Taliban leader has pardoned everyone and will not seek revenge against people who worked with the previous government. Assuaging fears of the locals and panic across the world, the spokesperson also said the Taliban would be establishing a government soon that would connect Afghanistan with everyone.

-Mujahid also said the Taliban wants media outlets to continue their activities. They have given three suggestions for the media: No broadcast should contradict Islamic values, they should be impartial and no one should broadcast anything that goes against our national interests.

Read | Taliban promise peace, but doubt and fear persist

Have the Taliban really given up their extremist ideology?

Despite the group's assurances, the question remains if the Taliban has shed the extremist ideology for a more inclusive one.

Ground realities show that some of its promises have already been broken. Less than two weeks ago, Dawa Khan Menapal, the spokesperson of the government of President Ashraf Ghani, was assassinated.

Read | The Taliban are only pretending they aren’t barbaric

Taliban officials had also conducted door-to-door searches looking for municipal and government workers when they entered Kabul.

There were reports that gunmen escorted women who worked in the Kandahar Bank and ordered them not to come back. The manager of a radio station in Kabul was murdered earlier this month by the Taliban.

In a positive sign, there were women journalists at the press conference, and a low-level Taliban leader even gave an interview to a female TV journalist. Reporters Without Borders have been promised that freedom of the press will be respected.