Richard Lindsay, the UK’s special envoy for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, the Taliban’s representative in Islamabad, to discuss regional security and the impact of Taliban policies on Afghan women and girls.
Lindsay said the meeting took place during his visit to the Pakistani capital and focused on security developments in the region as well as restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women and girls in Afghanistan.
During the same visit, Lindsay also met Mohammad Sadiq Khan, Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan. The two discussed regional security concerns, including cross-border militant attacks.
Britain, like most Western countries, does not recognise the Taliban administration. However, through its special envoy, London continues to engage with Taliban officials and regional governments on issues including counterterrorism, human rights and humanitarian access for Afghans.
In public remarks, the British envoy referred to Shakeeb as the “Taliban representative in Pakistan,” reflecting the UK’s policy of engaging with the Taliban as a ruling group rather than recognising them as Afghanistan’s legitimate government.
Some human rights organisations and activists have criticised official meetings with Taliban representatives, arguing that such engagements risk normalising the group’s rule.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly rejected claims that the group is internationally isolated, saying it maintains broad relations with various countries, which it says refrain from announcing formal ties due to pressure from the United States.
