The Chargé d’Affaires at the UK Mission to Afghanistan in Doha, Hugo Shorter, said Sunday his government does not support anyone seeking to achieve political change in Afghanistan through violence. 

In a statement published on the UK government’s website, Shorter said this also included all Afghan nationals and that the UK also does not support any activity inciting violence for political purposes. 

He said the UK will also not allow its soil “to be used to plan or prepare” violence in Afghanistan. 

“Violence of any kind is not in Afghanistan’s interests, nor the international community’s, and we deplore terrorist attacks of all kinds.

“To promote peace and stability, to deliver essential humanitarian support to the Afghan people, and to address shared concerns on security, there is no alternative to engaging pragmatically with the current administration of Afghanistan, and that is what we are doing,” he said.

The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has praised Britain’s new stance on Afghanistan and said that stability in Afghanistan was in the interests of all countries in the region and the world.

The IEA also called on countries around the world not to engage with elements trying to destabilize Afghanistan and incite insecurity. Instead, they urged foreign countries to boycott them. 

Shorter’s remarks come despite no country having as yet recognized the IEA government.