The Taliban has warned of consequences if American troops remain on the ground beyond August 31.
In an interview with Sky News, a spokesperson for the Taliban, Suhail Shaheen, said the August 31 deadline for withdrawal of US troops is a red line.
He added that there will be consequences if the deadline for withdrawal is extended.
“If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations, the answer is no,” Shaheen said.
In the last one week foreign countries, particularly the US and UK, are scrambling to evacuate thousands of their own citizens as well as Afghan partners ahead of the August 31 deadline.
Also, thousands of Afghans in a desperate bid to flee the country have been rushing to the airport which has resulted in chaos and several deaths in the last week.
Read also: Afghans protest against Taliban rule on Independence Day
The Taliban warning is coming ahead of the G7 leaders meeting on Tuesday to discuss the situation in Kabul.
In an interview with ABC News last week, US President, Joe Biden had said that the August 31 deadline for withdrawal of US troops might be extended if evacuations are not complete by that time.
Meanwhile, several reports are also suggesting that British prime minister, Boris Johnson, during the G7 meeting on Tuesday, is expected to ask Biden to keep American troops on the ground beyond the August 31 deadline.
Britain’s Foreign Office Minister, James Cleverly, confirmed to BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour on Sunday that the UK has already asked the US to stay in Afghanistan longer.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
