Taliban should not allow terror activity from Afghanistan that may impact any other country: UN chief

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Monday said it is absolutely essential that the Taliban do not allow any form of terrorist activity from Afghanistan that may impact any other country of the region.

''There are several clear things that we believe the Taliban must deliver from the point of view of the interests of the international community and from the point of view of the interest of Afghanistan itself,'' Guterres said.

Responding to a question by a Pakistani journalist on the Taliban during his end-of-year press conference, Guterres said there is a ''clear ask'' from the international community, which is for ''Afghanistan to stop all forms of activity of terrorist organisations that from Afghanistan represent threat to neighbouring countries including Pakistan, and so we are actively engaged in our discussions with the Taliban de facto authorities in relation to this''.

''We consider that it is absolutely essential for the Taliban not to allow any form of terrorist activity that might have an impact in relation to Pakistan, as in relation to any other country of the region,” Guterres said.

He added that another thing that the Taliban must deliver is in relation to inclusion in the power structures in Afghanistan. ''We have different ethnic groups and it's important that all ethnic groups are represented,” he said, adding that it is also important to ensure human rights, particularly women and girls’ rights, and the right of women to work, the rights of girls to attend school at all levels without discrimination.