Will bind Taliban to allow people to leave Afghanistan after Aug 31: US

The US and 97 other countries on Sunday said that they would ensure that the Taliban allow people to leave Afghanistan after August 31, the deadline for the complete withdrawal of US forces from the country, the New York Times reported.

The US and other countries also said that they would continue to take in people fleeing Afghanistan after the American military departs.

The statement did not speak of any punitive action should the Taliban go back on their word but they would be given to understand that the international community holds the key to badly needed aid to Afghanistan.

Senior Taliban leader Sher Mohammed Stanekzai has already announced that they would not stop people from leaving the country irrespective of their nationality or whether they had worked for the occupation forces during the 20-year war.

The joint statement released by the said countries and the NATO underlined that they had received assurances from the Taliban that people with valid travel documents could safely depart.

The countries also pledged to "continue issuing travel documentation to designated Afghans”.