Thousands of religious scholars and tribal elders from all regions of Afghanistan are participating from Thursday, June 30 in the capital Kabul in a great council, which should legitimize the fundamentalist Islamist regime of the Taliban.
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Authorities have provided very few details about the rally called by the Taliban and reserved for men only.
The media were not allowed to attend.
It is described as a "
jirga
", a traditional assembly of elders in which differences should normally be settled by consensus.
This event comes a week after the southeast of the country was hit by an earthquake that left more than 1,000 dead and tens of thousands homeless.
US officials were due to discuss in Qatar on Thursday with senior Taliban officials a mechanism to release Afghan funds, with Washington seeking to ensure they are used for humanitarian purposes.
Women, not allowed in the “jirga”
Even before the earthquake, the Taliban struggled to transition from an insurgent force that fought for 20 years against American forces, which left the country at the end of August 2021, in civilian administration.
Since their return to power in mid-August, Afghanistan has been plunged into a deep economic and humanitarian crisis, the international community having closed the floodgates of financial aid which had carried the country at arm's length for two decades.
A Taliban source told AFP that council participants would be allowed to criticize the power in place and that thorny issues, such as girls' education - which is the subject of debate within the movement itself -, would be on the program of the "
jirga
", which is to last three days.
Women are not allowed to attend.
Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi told state broadcaster RTA on Wednesday that this was unnecessary as they will be represented by male relatives.
Restricted women's rights
"
Women are our mothers and our sisters we respect them a lot
", and "
when their sons are in the rally, it means they are also involved
", he said.
The Taliban claim to have the support of a very large majority of the population.
But they returned to the ultra-rigorous interpretation of Islam that had marked their first passage to power, between 1996 and 2001, severely restricting women's rights.
They have largely barred them from public employment, restricted their right to travel, and barred girls from middle and high school.
Women have also been forced to wear a full veil, covering the face, for any outing in public.
A letter from the prime minister's office seen by AFP says each of the country's more than 400 districts was to send three delegates.
Cities, religious groups and other organizations were also to send representatives, bringing the number of participants in this council to more than 3,000 people, the largest gathering of influential figures since the return to power of the Taliban.
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The Afghan media also speculate on the possible presence of the supreme leader of the Taliban and the country, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who has never been filmed or photographed in public since their arrival in power.
Only audio recordings of Mr. Akhundzada, who lives recluse in Kandahar, the spiritual center of the Taliban, have been made public, without being able to be authenticated by an independent source.