Let’s Talk About Sanctions, Taliban Are Terrorists: Canada PM Justin Trudeau

New Delhi: Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau on Monday called the Taliban a group of terrorists. Trudeau told the media that “Canada already recognizes, and has for long, that the Taliban are terrorists and harbor terrorists. That’s why they are on the terrorist list. So, yes, we can talk about sanctions.”

Canada, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States – will meet virtually to discuss the situation developed in Afghanistan.

PM Trudeau said he was looking forward to a conversation shortly with my fellow G7 leaders as we look at what more we can do, but Britain, which currently holds the rotating presidency of G7, has said that “Relief of existing sanctions “will depend on the behavior of the Taliban.”

Canada resumed flights to Kabul on Thursday for the first time since the Taliban seized the Afghan capital. Four flights have taken off from Kabul to Canada, the latest of which carried 436 Canadian citizens and Afghan nationals on Sunday.

Nearly 900 Afghans have arrived in Canada under a new special immigration program, the Canadian officials said. Canada recently pledged to take in 20,000 Afghan refugees under the program.

The United States and its allies are racing to evacuate tens of thousands of people from the country before US President Joe Biden’s August 31 deadline for the final withdrawal of all its forces.

Britain on Monday urged the United States to extend the date of withdrawal of its remained troops, while the Taliban warned any delay would lead to “consequences.” Trudeau did not reveal his position on pushing the deadline back.

The Islamist group swept to power in mid-August, nearly 20 years after its first regime was toppled in 2001 by the US-led invasion of Afghanistan.

With the European Union and Britain saying it would be impossible to get everyone out by then, Biden is under pressure to extend the deadline.