Montreal:
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau left the door open to sanctions on the Taliban Monday, noting that the Islamist group that now controls Afghanistan remains a “terrorist entity.”
“Canada already recognizes, and has for long, that the Taliban are terrorists, and harbor terrorists. That’s why they’re on the terrorist list. So, yes, we can talk about sanctions,” Trudeau told reporters.
On Tuesday, leaders of the G7 group of wealthy nations — Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States — will meet practically on Afghanistan.
Trudeau stated he was “looking forward to” a conversation “shortly with my fellow G7 leaders as we look at what more we can do.”
Britain, which at present holds the rotating presidency of G7, has stated that relief of current sanctions “will depend on the behavior of the Taliban.”
The Islamist group swept to energy in mid-August, almost 20 years right after its initially regime was toppled in 2001 by the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.
The United States and its allies are racing to evacuate tens of thousands of persons from the nation ahead of US President Joe Biden’s August 31 deadline for the final withdrawal of all its forces.
But with the European Union and Britain saying it would be not possible to get absolutely everyone out by then, Biden is below stress to extend the deadline.
Britain stated Monday it would urge the United States to extend it, when the Taliban warned any delay would lead to “consequences.”
Trudeau did not reveal his position on pushing the deadline back.
He stated Canada’s focus remains “on getting as many Afghans out to safety as possible.”
The circumstance remains “volatile and chaotic” close to the airport in Kabul, exactly where thousands of terrified Afghans fleeing Taliban rule have gathered for days in a bid to make it on to an evacuation flight, senior Canadian government officials stated Monday.
Canada resumed flights to Kabul on Thursday for the initially time considering the fact that the Taliban seized the Afghan capital.
Four flights have taken off from Kabul to Canada, the newest of which carried 436 Canadian citizens and Afghan nationals on Sunday.
Nearly 900 Afghans have arrived in Canada below a new specific immigration system, the Canadian officials stated. Canada not too long ago pledged to take in 20,000 Afghan refugees below the programme.
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