Afghan acting PM Akhund calls for official recognition of Taliban administration

Taliban leaders. File Photo: Reuters

"I ask all governments, especially Islamic countries, that they should start recognition," Akhund said, in his first major public broadcast appearance since he assumed the role in September.

Foreign powers have been reluctant to recognise the Taliban administration which took over Afghanistan in August while Western nations led by the United States have frozen billions of dollars worth of Afghan banking assets and cut off development funding that once formed the backbone of Afghanistan's economy.