The Islamic Emirate takeover of Afghanistan and the ensuing humanitarian crisis has kicked off an international debate about what to do with billions of dollars of frozen Afghan government assets held abroad, predominantly in the United States.

US judge Sarah Netburn gave the US Justice Department until February 11 to make a decision.

The original deadline for the government’s response was Friday. But the judge has agreed to grant the administration’s request for an extension, giving the government until February 11 to make its position known.

A group of families of about 150 US victims of the September 11 attacks asked the US government in September to compensate them from the $7 billion in frozen assets held by the Federal Reserve of New York.

In the meantime, the Islamic Emirate said the money is the property of the Afghan people and should be released as soon as possible.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan wants the return of the national assets to Afghanistan in any case. The “9/11 attack” has nothing to do with Afghanistan,” said Inamullah Samangani, deputy spokesman of the Islamic Emirate.

The 9/11 attacks were carried out by al-Qaeda during the first period of the Islamic Emirate, and some members of the families of the victims say that Afghanistan's frozen assets should not be given to the Islamic Emirate.