‘Sharia will decide foreign engagement’

The Taliban will deal with the international community in line with sharia law, Haibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the hardline Islamist group said, according to a copy of his speech given to around 3,000 tribal leaders and shared by the information ministry yesterday.  "This meeting is called to think about the freedom we received by the blessing of Allah, which we achieved from the blood of our mujahideen (fighters)," he said in the speech. "We will deal with the international community as per Islamic Sharia ...if Sharia doesn't allow it, we will not deal with any other country," Akhundzada said.