Taliban urges Afghans to plant trees for the 'worldly good'

The leader of the Taliban has used a rare public statement to call on Afghans to plant more trees for "the worldly and otherworldly good".

Published in four languages, the official release from cleric Haibatullah Akhundzada said "the Mujahideen and beloved countrymen must join hands in tree-planting" and urged Afghan civilians and Taliban fighters to "plant one or several fruit or non-fruit trees for the beautification of Earth and the benefit of almighty Allah's creations".

"Planting trees and agriculture are considered actions which hold both worldly good and benefit as well as immense rewards in the hereafter," said Akhundzada.

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It is an "uncommon move" for the group, which has recently published unsigned statements on a range of issues such as civilian casualties, upcoming military operations and the anniversary of the withdrawal of Soviet troops in the 1980s, says The Independent.

The Taliban has been waging an insurgency against the government in Kabul and its Nato coalition backers since being ousted in 2001. After the withdrawal of most foreign combat troops in 2014 it made slow, steady gains, and is now believed to control more than 40 per cent of Afghanistan.

Yet while it is mostly known for its insurgent attacks, the Taliban "retains its political aspirations and has often worked to provide basic services and assert connections in communities in areas it controls", says The Independent.

Akhundzada's statement cites Islamic tradition and the words and deeds of the Prophet Muhammed to reinforce its environmental message, says the Daily Telegraph.

But a spokesman for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani dismissed it as an attempt to "deceive public opinion" and distract from the Taliban's "crimes and destruction".

Wahid Muzhda, a political analyst in Kabul, said announcements like this from the Taliban – and other statements where it claims to be building roads and bridges – "could be part of a campaign to show that they would provide enlightened leadership in areas of the country that they control".