The 76th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly ended on Monday without a speech by the representative of Afghanistan as Ghulam Isaczai, the UN-recognized Afghan envoy, decided not to speak.  The Taliban had challenged the credentials of Isaczai and appointed their own representative, Suhail Shaheen, to speak at the UN. However, the credential committee of the UN hasn’t yet approved the Taliban’s request. 

The Sunni fundamentalist Islamist group seized power in the country on 15 August, overthrowing the US-backed democratic government that lasted almost two decades. 

Isaczai was earlier listed among speakers, U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said. “We were notified Saturday by the Afghan Mission that they would no longer be speaking,” he was quoted as saying by The Associated Press on Monday. 

Significantly, on Monday, the official Facebook page of former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was allegedly hacked and a pro-Taliban message--seeking international recognition and assistance to the Taliban--was posted on the page. 

Ghani later took to Twitter to confirm that the account was hacked. Ameer Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister, in a letter to the Secretary-General of the  United Nations, had said that Isaczai no longer represents Afghanistan.  

Significantly, from 1996 to 2001, when the Taliban had control over most parts of Afghanistan, Afghanistan’s seat was given to the internationally recognized government of Burhanuddin Rabbani. 

Last week, Russia, who is a member of the UN credential committee, had said that recognition to the Taliban was not on the table. 

(SAM)