UK says it is working with Pakistan to prevent spread of terrorism from Afghanistan

In a major development, the British special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Nigel Casey said that London is working with Pakistan to control the spread of terrorism from Afghanistan. According to a report published in the Khamma News, the British Embassy in Islamabad on Wednesday issued a statement saying that Britain is cooperating with Pakistan in providing humanitarian assistance to Afghans and in other areas. Following the extraordinary fall of the US-backed Ashraf Ghani government and the withdrawal of US troops from Kabul, British special envoy Nikokasi, who is on a three-day visit to Islamabad, has stated that he will spare no effort to strengthen Afghanistan's stability and peace.

The British High Commission said that Casey discussed the Afghanistan situation with Pakistan's civil and military leaders. During his visit to Islamabad, Casey met with Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa, National Security Adviser Moeed Yusuf, Foreign Secretary Sohail Mahmood, and Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Muhammad Sadiq, to discuss the situation in Afghanistan.

The British government has also pledged to provide 50 million pounds of funding for Afghans. "He discussed the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, for which the UK has already pledged 50 million pounds of funding for 2.5 million Afghans, most of them women and girls, drawn from the UK's 286 million pound aid commitment to Afghanistan this year," said the UK High Commission, reported news agency PTI.

During his interaction with top officials in Pakistan, Casey discussed multiple issues, including inclusive politics, women's rights, and the security situation in the country, according to the British High Commission. "The UK is committed to doing everything it can to ensure stability in Afghanistan, and our policy is one of pragmatic engagement. We will continue to work together with Pakistan on matters of shared concern, including providing humanitarian support to the people of Afghanistan and preventing Afghanistan from becoming a place where terrorism flourishes," Casey said.

On his three-day visit to Pakistan, the Special Representative will also meet business leaders in Karachi to discuss trade opportunities between London and Islamabad. The Imran Khan-led government has been trying to convince the international community to start trade and diplomatically engage with the Taliban after the hardline Islamist group took control of the country in August this year. However, many countries have been skeptical about the Taliban, especially on issues like terrorism, women's and children's rights, among other issues.

With Inputs from PTI

Image: AP/Twitter/@Nigelcasey