Too early to decide how to work with the Taliban: UK

• The Taliban have repeatedly promised a more tolerant brand of rule compared with their first stint in power.
• We intend to put pressure on them to uphold these standards and claims, says UK premier's spokesman.
• Says this will partly depend on whether Taliban upholds pledges on issues such as respecting human rights.

LONDON: It is too early to decide if, and how, the government will work with the Taliban on tackling the Daesh in Afghanistan, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Tuesday.

The spokesman said this will partly depend on whether Taliban upholds pledges on issues such as respecting human rights.

"At this stage it is too early to dictate if and how we would work with the Taliban going forward," the spokesman said. "A lot will depend on their actions from now. As we have said throughout, we intend to put pressure on them to uphold these standards and claims."

The United States’ longest military conflict drew to a close on Monday night when its forces abandoned Kabul’s airport, where it had overseen a frenzied airlift that saw more than 123,000 people flee life under the Taliban.

The Taliban celebrated their total return to power on Tuesday with gunfire and diplomacy, after the last US troops flew out of Afghanistan to end two decades of war.

Many Afghans are terrified of a repeat of the Taliban’s initial rule from 1996-2001, which was infamous for their treatment of girls and women, as well as a brutal justice system.

However, the Taliban have repeatedly promised a more tolerant and open brand of rule compared with their first stint in power, and Mujahid continued that theme.

"We want to have good relations with the US and the world. We welcome good diplomatic relations with them all," he said.

Mujahid also insisted Taliban security forces would "be gentle and nice".

Additional input from AFP