Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. Archive photo.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said on Wednesday that the case of Rahmanullah Lakanwal - the Afghan national accused of attacking two US National Guard members in Washington, D.C. - has nothing to do with Afghanistan or the Taliban`s administration.
"This issue is not related to the people or the government of Afghanistan," Muttaqi said at an event in Kabul. "He was trained and employed by them, and he left Afghanistan through an illegal evacuation programme that had no basis in international norms."
US authorities say Lakanwal is the main suspect in last week`s shooting that killed Specialist Sarah Beckstrom and critically wounded Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe. Following the incident, the Trump administration ordered a halt to processing immigration cases for Afghan nationals.
Muttaqi said they had repeatedly urged Washington to establish formal diplomatic channels and allow consular services for Afghans in the United States. "We have told the Americans many times that we need embassy-to-embassy relations so our citizens do not feel forced to travel illegally or engage in wrongdoing, and so their voices can be heard," he said.
The United States has criticised the Taliban for detaining American citizens and for imposing sweeping restrictions on women and girls, policies Washington says block any path toward their international recognition.
