Taliban urges Afghan govt employees to return to work
Kabul, Aug 17 (IANS) Two days after the Taliban captured Kabul, the insurgent group on Tuesday urged the Afghan government employees to return to work in an effort to bring back normalcy in the capital city.
Declaring a general amnesty, the Taliban urged all to restart their normal lives with confidence, reports Xinhua news agency.
It also urged women to join its government.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted that the situation in Kabul was completely under control and law and order returned to the city.
Mujahid reiterated that life and properties of people were safe as there are reports that the Taliban has arrested about 200 people involved in looting of government properties and vehicles.
The Taliban leadership has ordered its members and "once again instructs them that no one is allowed to enter anyone's house without permission. Life, property and honor of none shall be harmed but must be protected," Mujahid said.
Late on Monday, flight operations of military transport planes had resumed from the Kabul airport and dozens of flights were conducted, according to residents living nearby.
The planes were evacuating foreigners and some of their Afghan workers.
The flight operations were suspended on Monday morning after thousands of Afghans flocked to the airport to flee Kabul.
Taliban members on Monday took control of the outside of Kabul airport while thousands of US forces were inside the airport helping evacuating the crowds.
At least 10 Afghans were reportedly killed in the stampede and a shooting inside the airport within the past two days.
Also on Monday, the offices of the Afghan Public Health Ministry and the Kabul municipality were reopened.
Wahid Majrooh, acting minister of public health, appeared together with Taliban public health representatives in a televised footage, urging medical workers to return to their jobs, including female medical employees.
Small shops were also reopened around the city while banks and business centres mostly remained closed as of Tuesday morning.