UK says it is too early to decide how to work with Taliban against IS

UK says it is too early to decide how to work with Taliban against IS
A UK government spokesman said the decision will partly depend on whether Taliban upholds pledges on issues such as respecting human rights.
1 min read
Britain said it is too early to decide whether to work with the Taliban [Getty]

A spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday it is too early to decide if, and how, the government will work with the Taliban on tackling the Islamic State in Afghanistan.

The spokesman said this will partly depend on whether Taliban upholds pledges on issues such as respecting human rights.

"At this stage it is too early to dictate if and how we would work with the Taliban going forward," the spokesman said. "A lot will depend on their actions from now. As we have said throughout, we intend to put pressure on them to uphold these standards and claims." 

The Taliban stormed across the country capturing rural areas, key border posts, then provincial capitals as foreign military forces left and Afghan security forces fragmented.

Tens of thousands of Afghans have been displaced because of the escalating violence as people fear the Taliban will penalise those who worked with foreign allies and the US-backed government. A crackdown on freedom of expression and women’s rights is also prompting people to flee. 

The Taliban have sought in recent years to present themselves as a more moderate force and vow they won't exact revenge, but many Afghans are sceptical of those promises.