British MP Tobias Ellwood has again urged the government to rethink its strategy on Afghanistan.
Publish dateWednesday 16 August 2023 - 18:59
Story Code : 274988
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)_Monitoring, The senior Conservative said the UK should not abandon the people of Afghanistan, as he reiterated his call for ministers to reconsider engagement with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), PA news agency reported.
The chairman of the British parliament’s Commons Defence Select Committee was the keynote speaker at an event in Feltham in west London organized by the Afghanistan and Central Asian Association.
His appearance at the event, two years on from the IEA’s return to power in the summer of 2021, comes after his recent comments on the country sparked controversy and criticism from his fellow MPs.
Ellwood alluded to the row during his speech, stressing that he was speaking in a purely personal capacity, while also claiming that many do not want to “confront the toughest of questions” on Afghanistan.
The evacuation and plight of the country, he said, has been “conveniently forgotten” amid the war in Ukraine and growing tensions with China.
“As I found out after my own visit, no-one it seems right now is ready to confront the toughest of questions of whether our current strategy of shouting from afar… is actually working. Or do we dare to consider leveraging greater influence through engagement,” he said.
The former defense minister is facing a no-confidence motion as committee chairman after publishing a video claiming that Afghanistan has improved since the IEA regained power.
Ellwood, following a visit to the nation, called for Britain to reopen its embassy in Kabul, following on from the European Union re-establishing a physical presence in the territory last year.
He later removed his video from social media and expressed regret over its recording.
The MP referred repeatedly to his recent visit, as well as previous trips, to Afghanistan during his address.
“An economic, humanitarian or terrorism crisis is looming. Let’s make sure Afghanistan and its people are not forgotten. It’s time for a new strategy,” Ellwood said.
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