As part of a media blitz intended at reassuring international powers and a terrified populace, the Taliban pledged Tuesday to respect women’s rights, forgive those who opposed them, and guarantee Afghanistan does not become a sanctuary for terrorists.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the armed group’s spokesperson, doubled down on the Taliban’s efforts to persuade the world that it has evolved since it established a harsh reign on the nation in the 1990s in his maiden press conference.

Mujahid, who had been a mysterious figure for years, stated on Tuesday that women’s rights will be safeguarded within the context of Islam.

Older generations recall the Taliban’s former regime, when women were generally restricted to their houses, television and music were forbidden, and public executions were conducted. Months after the 9/11 attacks, which al-Qaida had organized from Afghanistan while being protected by the Taliban, they were driven from power by a US-led invasion.

He also stated that the Taliban hoped for good ties with all nations and that no organization would be permitted to utilize Afghan soil for operations against any country.

He stated that while the organization wanted private media to “remain independent,” journalists “should not work against national values.” He also vowed that the militants would secure Afghanistan, but that they would not seek vengeance on anyone who collaborated with the previous administration or foreign countries or troops.

The Taliban have encouraged women to return to work and enabled girls to return to school by providing Islamic headscarves at the entrance. In a TV studio on Monday, a female news presenter interviewed a Taliban official.

“I would like to assure the international community, including the United States, that nobody will be harmed,” Mujahid said. “We don’t want any internal or external enemies.

“We assure you that nobody will go to their doors to ask why they helped,” he added.

Women’s treatment varies greatly throughout the Muslim world, and even within the same nation, with rural areas being considerably more orthodox. Female prime ministers have served in several Muslim nations, like Pakistan, whereas ultraconservative Saudi Arabia just recently permitted women to drive.

The organization had earlier announced “amnesty” across Afghanistan and encouraged women to join its administration, in an attempt to soothe fears in a tense capital city where hundreds had flocked to the city’s international airport in a desperate bid to leave the day before.

Mujahid also stated that the Taliban will not allow Afghanistan to be used as a launchpad for attacks on other nations, as it was in the years leading up to 9/11. This promise was included in a 2020 peace pact between the Taliban and the Trump administration, which opened the door for the US departure.

In Monday’s turmoil, at least seven individuals died, including many passengers who clung to the sides of a US plane as it took off.

The Taliban patrolled the streets of Kabul for another day, and many civilians stayed at home, frightened of the militants’ control, which saw jails emptied and armories plundered. Many women fear that the two-decade Western experiment to enhance their rights and change Afghanistan may be undone by the Taliban’s resurgence.

US commanders are in contact with the Taliban, according to the Pentagon, as they try to evacuate thousands of civilians through Kabul’s international airport. According to the report, the Taliban have not carried out any hostile acts in the area.

Meanwhile, China indicated it was willing to establish “friendly relations” with the Taliban, while Russia and Iran made diplomatic advances as well.

In the meanwhile, Germany has stopped development funding to Afghanistan in response to the Taliban’s control. Aid is a vital source of income for the nation, and the Taliban’s efforts to present a kinder image may be geared at ensuring that the money keeps flowing.