The UK government in press release said a delegation returned to Afghanistan to discuss various topics including human rights–notably rights of women, girls and minorities–and the treatment of women’s rights activists, as well as a response to Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis.
According to the press release, the delegates held talks with Islamic Emirate senior officials including Amir Khan Mutaqqi, acting foreign minister, and conveyed the UK’s concerns over the mentioned issues.
The press release further says the delegate includes Nick Dyer, the UK’s Special Envoy for Famine Prevention and Humanitarian Affairs, Hugo Shorter, Chargé d’Affaires ad Interim of the UK Mission to Afghanistan, and Hester Waddams, Deputy Head of Mission and Political Counsellor, UK Mission to Afghanistan.
The press release quoted a government spokesperson sating: “UK representatives returned to Afghanistan today for talks on how to respond to the country’s deepening humanitarian crisis.”
Hugo Shorter said on Twitter that he held talks with Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Abdul Haq Wasiq, General Directorate of Intelligence, over the humanitarian crisis and terrorism.
“We underlined that the negative trend, including the lengthy detention of female activists, reprisals and extra-judicial killings is deeply concerning. We stressed that all girls should return to school in the spring.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday evening confirmed that a delegation from the UK had met with Amir Khan Mutaqqi in Kabul.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar and Abdul Salam Hanafi, deputy prime ministers, met with Simon Gass, the UK prime minister’s special envoy, in Kabul, the administrative office said in a statement.
Baradar and Hanifi in the meeting said the Islamic Emirate wants good relations with the world’s countries, and they will not allow anyone to threaten any country from Afghanistan, the statement reads.
Baradar and Hanafi also said the frozen bank assets of Afghanistan should be released because the situation is adding to the poverty and economic problems in the country.
According to the statement, Hanafi and Baradar said the Islamic Emirate will facilitate conditions for international humanitarian organizations to deliver aid to vulnerable Afghans.
Gass also said the United Kingdom wants to have good relations with the Islamic Emirate, adding that hunger and poverty in Afghanistan is a benefit to no one, the statement reads.
Gass added that UK will continue its humanitarian aid to Afghanistan via the United Nations and international humanitarian organizations. He reiterated for the importance of girls’ education, the statement reads.
Meanwhile, the spokesman for the foreign ministry said Gass held a meeting with acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi on Tuesday and discussed reviving diplomatic ties between the two countries.
