The head of UK armed forces, Gen. Nick Carter, said that the UK must engage with the Islamic Emirate to provide support for local Afghan allies and to provide humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
“We certainly have to engage them for a number of reasons. I mean, first and foremost, there are still Afghans who worked with us who we are worried will be the subject of vendettas, and we would like to see them find a way out of Afghanistan, and we would like to look after them to achieve that,” he said. “Secondly, we’re very worried about the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, and that’s been in the media this week.”
According to Carter, the UK needs to persuade the “Taliban” to form an inclusive government and respect human rights, especially of women and minorities in Afghanistan. “And if that doesn’t happen, then the answer is that we will have failed,” he added.
In reaction to Carter’s remarks, the Islamic Emirate said that the paths for negotiations are opened.
“If the neighboring countries have any concerns about any issue, the path for negotiations is opened. We can listen to their offers and concerns and can solve them through engagement,” said Inamullah Samangani, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.
Referring to the fall of Kabul to the Islamic Emirate, General Carter said that hopes had been placed on the Afghan armed forces to create the circumstances for a political reconciliation.
“It was tough. It wasn’t the outcome that any of us wanted, and we hoped right up until the end that the Afghan government and its armed forces would be able to hang in there and create the sort of circumstances in which you could get a proper political reconciliation,” he said.
Political analysts say that the world’s engagement with the current Afghan government is in the interest of Afghanistan.
“The engagement of the world would be beneficial for Afghanistan. It is a path to resolve political and economic problems as well as for the stability of Afghanistan and the world,” said Latif Nazari, a political analyst.
