The spokesperson for the Taliban government, Zabihullah Mujahid, has rejected reports claiming that the Taliban government is spending billions of Afghanis solely on the families of those who carried out suicide bombings in Afghanistan in recent years.
Earlier, in an interview with Afghanistan’s national television, Mujahid was quoted as saying that the government has provided 12 billion Afghanis in annual aid to the orphans and widows of “fidayee mujahideen” (suicide bombers).
Mujahid, in an audio message to BBC, claimed that his statements had been “misinterpreted by those sitting for propaganda purposes.” He added that the funds he referred to were part of the financial assistance provided by the Taliban government to widows, orphans, and disabled people across Afghanistan.
He further stated: “The reality is that, in general, under the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled, we have registered over 530,000 beneficiaries, including the heirs, widows, and disabled persons from across Afghanistan.”
Mujahid emphasized that the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled is specifically concerned with the families of the martyrs, and these funds are used for the welfare of orphans, widows, and disabled individuals.