Top Taliban official offers amnesty to Afghans who fled country after collapse of former govt

Kabul: A top Taliban official said on Saturday that all Afghans who fled the country after the collapse of the former Western-backed government are free to return home, promising they would not be harmed if they come back.

Taliban Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund made the amnesty offer in his message for the Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha, also known as the “Feast of Sacrifice”. The offer comes days after US President Donald Trump announced a sweeping travel ban on 12 countries, including Afghanistan.

The measure largely bars Afghans hoping to resettle in the United States permanently as well as those hoping to go to the US temporarily, such as for university study.