PAKISTAN: FOREIGN DIPLOMATS MEET TALEBAN ENVOY TO REQUEST VISAS ALLOWING OFFICIALS TO VISIT DETAINED AID WORKERS IN AFGHANISTAN.

Record ID: 566258

  • Title: PAKISTAN: FOREIGN DIPLOMATS MEET TALEBAN ENVOY TO REQUEST VISAS ALLOWING OFFICIALS TO VISIT DETAINED AID WORKERS IN AFGHANISTAN.
  • Date: 10th August 2001
  • Summary: (W4) ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (AUGUST 10,2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 1. GV: JOURNALISTS AND SECURITY STAFF OUTSIDE AFGHAN EMBASSY IN ISLAMABAD (2 SHOTS) 0.12 2. GV: AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER HOWARD BROWN, GERMAN ACTING AMBASSADOR GUNTER OVERFELD AND U.S. DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION MICHELE J. SISON LEAVING TALIBAN EMBASSY 0.20 3. CU: SOUNDBITE (Pushtu) MULLAH ABDUL SATTAR ZAEEF, TALIBAN AMBASSADOR, SAYING: "They wanted visas for their consular sections to go to Kabul to meet with the detainees; to know about their health, safety and to convey them messages from their relatives and also their messages to their relatives and also to give them basic needs." 0.50 4. SPLIT SCREEN AND MV: AMBASSADOR AND INTERPRETER/ TALIBAN OFFICIALS (2 SHOTS) 1.06 5. MV: (SOUNDBITE) (Pushto) ZAEEF SAYING: "The decision of course will be taken according to the Sharia (Islamic) laws. You know our system is based on Sharia laws. All the decisions are taken according to the prevailing laws of Sharia. Whether there is punishment for them, what kind of punishment, or whether they are released; all would be based on Sharia." 1.52 ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (AUGUST 9, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 6. GV: EXTERIOR OF UN COORDINATING AGENCY FOR AFGHANISTAN (UNOCHA) OFFICE 1.57 7. MV/GV/PAN: UNIDENTIFIED AID WORKERS IN UNITED NATIONS VAN BOUND FOR AIRPORT FOR SCHEDULED FLIGHT TO KABUL/ CAR DRIVING PAST (3 SHOTS) 2.17 8. GV: VANS OUTSIDE EXTERIOR OF ISLAMABAD AIRPORT 2.25 9. MV: PASSENGERS IN AIRPORT LOUNGE (2 SHOTS) 2.38 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 25th August 2001 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Reuters ID: LVA2P22X0E0RBHUP6QAXMKTWFTB5
  • Story Text: Diplomats have called on the Taliban envoy in Islamabad
    to request visas for their staff to travel to Kabul and visit
    detained foreign aid workers.



    Afghanistan's ruling Taliban said on Friday (August 10)
    that diplomats from Germany, the United States and Australia
    had the right to visit eight foreign aid workers detained in
    Kabul for promoting Christianity.

    Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban's ambassador to
    neighbouring Pakistan, who had just returned from meeting
    Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, said the purist Islamic
    movement was cooperating with international requests for
    access to the detained foreigners.

    "They wanted visas for their consular sections to go to
    Kabul to meet with the detainees; to know about their health,
    safety and to convey them messages from their relatives and
    also their messages to their relatives and also to give them
    basic needs," Zaeef said after the Australian, German and U.S
    senior envoys called on him Friday morning.

    Twenty-four workers from the German-based Shelter Now
    International (SNI) -- four Germans, two Australians and two
    Americans and 16 Afghans -- were arrested on August 5 on
    charges of trying to convert Afghan Muslims to Christianity.

    Zaeef said any punishment for those arrested would be
    determined by Islamic Sharia law and offered a ray of hope for
    the foreign detainees.

    "The decision of course will be taken according to the
    Sharia (Islamic) laws. You know our system is based on Sharia
    laws. All the decisions are taken according to the prevailing
    laws of Sharia. Whether there is punishment for them, what
    kind of punishment, or whether they are released; all would be
    based on Sharia," Zaeef said.

    Asked if punishment would be different for Muslims and non
    Muslims, Zaeef said: "Punishment will certainly be different
    for Muslims and for non-Muslims. According to Sharia, there is
    a difference."
    Taliban officials at the embassy in Pakistan say they are
    waiting for word from Kabul on visa applications by diplomats
    from the three countries; while foreign ministry officials in
    the Afghan capital say they still need information from
    Islamabad.

    In the meantime, the Taliban movement said on Thursday it
    had gathered more evidence to prove that the 24 SNI staff were
    trying to convert Afghan Muslims to Christianity.

    A scheduled United Nations flight to the Afghan capital
    from Islamabdad departed without the diplomats.

    The next U.N. flight is on Sunday, although an alternative
    way in would be by road -- a journey of about 10 hours.
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