ISLAMABAD - Three Western diplomats arrived back in Pakistan on Tuesday after a futile week-long effort to see their eight citizens detained in Afghanistan on charges of promoting Christianity.
The U.S., German and Australian diplomats had been refused an extension to their visas and told they could not see the detained aid workers until the ruling Taliban's investigation of their activities was concluded.
The three diplomats landed in Islamabad, where they are based, aboard a regular U.N. flight from the Afghan capital.
"We return to Islamabad to continue our efforts to obtain consular access and to work for the speedy release of our citizens," American diplomat David Donahue said, reading a statement from the three countries' governments just before their departure.
The only concrete accomplishment of the mission to Afghanistan was the handing over of personal items to the Taliban for delivery to the prisoners.
Australian diplomat Alistair Adams told reporters on arrival in Islamabad the Taliban had agreed to deliver personal items for the detainees and they had receipts showing the eight had signed for the packages.
"We are very pleased with that, we have signatures of the eight detainees which is an encouraging sign. We were not able to visit them but that was the next best thing," he added.
The United Nations had warned the Taliban they were violating international norms of behaviour by refusing to let the detained foreign aid workers see representatives of their governments or lawyers.
The Taliban said the organisation, the German-based Christian aid group Shelter Now International (SNI), had been attempting to convert Afghan Muslims to Christianity. The charge could carry a death penalty.
Sixteen Afghan colleagues have also been detained. Converting to Christianity also carries the death sentence, although the Taliban reported the 16 do not say they have abandoned Islam.
Minister of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice Mohammad Wali told Reuters on Tuesday the Taliban had found SNI links with other NGOs cooperating in promoting Christianity.
"I can't reveal the details of the evidence and the names of these organisations until we have finished the probe," said Wali, who gave no time frame for when investigations would end.
"NOT OUR ROLE TO TAKE SIDES"
The Taliban say they have seized a massive hoard of Christian material from the aid workers but Adams said the diplomats were not concerned with the evidence, which is said to include computer discs and Bibles translated into local languages.
"It not our role to take any side in the investigations. That's their prerogative so we are not really interested in the evidence. If they have a case then they prove that in accordance with their own laws and we have no role in interfering in those investigations at all."
SNI has said it tells all aid workers sent to Afghanistan, now mostly under the rule of the hardline Taliban movement, not to proselytise.
Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) quoted Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil as saying in response to a question that the movement was still considering a meeting between the detainees and the ICRC.
Soon after the arrest of the aid workers, the International Committee of the Red Cross had suggested the Taliban allow them access to the detainees but there has been no response by the radical Islamic movement so far.
"We are considering that a meeting between the ICRC and the under-investigation staff of the Shelter Now takes place," Muttawakil was quoted by the AIP, which gave no indication when the meeting, if any, might take place.
Adams said they would contact the Taliban embassy in Pakistan -- one of only three countries to recognise the government -- to seek new visas and information about their citizens.
Adams, setting a positive tone, said the mission was a success because they had established relations with the Taliban foreign ministry despite failing to get meetings with senior officials.
The Taliban prescribe the death penalty for Afghan Muslims who forsake their religion. But it is not clear what kind of punishment the foreigners can face and Adams said they were not informed by the Taliban.
"I am not clear on that... In fact one of the consular roles is to find out what are the applicable laws and what are the range of penalties and we can't get that advice at the moment because they (Taliban) don't seem clear on that," he added.
10:20 08-21-01
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