The Taliban’s announcement of a spring offensive is consistent with the insurgency’s pattern of activity and was anticipated by the Afghan authorities. The UK is an integral part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's Resolute Support Mission (RSM), which is working to train, assist and advise the Afghan National Security and Defence Forces to meet the challenge posed by an enduring insurgency. Working in close cooperation with the Afghan authorities and RSM, the UK keeps its security under constant review.

The Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (ANDSF) continue to provide security in the vast majority of the country, but in some parts of Afghanistan the situation is fluid as Taliban forces seek to put ANDSF under pressure. NATO and US continue to train, advise and assist the ANDSF. We assess that the Daesh affiliate in Afghanistan and Pakistan aims to expand its presence in Nangarhar Province in the east of Afghanistan. They are subject to military action by Afghan and US forces and they also face resistance from the Taliban with whom they are competing for influence.

The Prime Minister, my right hon. Friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron) held a trilateral meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in December 2015, where they discussed reducing the influence of the Taleban on Afghanistan. The Prime Minister also spoke to President Ghani and Prime Minister Sharif individually on the topic. Both President Ghani and Prime Minister Sharif reiterated their commitment to an Afghan owned and led peace process as the only route to a stable and secure Afghanistan.

In September, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond) met with the Afghan Chief Executive Officer Dr Abdullah Abdullah and discussed the situation in Afghanistan. Since August 2015, the Foreign Secretary has spoken with a number of senior Pakistani figures including: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar; former National Security Advisor Sartaj Aziz; and Chief Minister of Punjab Shahbaz Sharif.

I discussed the Taleban influence in Afghanistan and Pakistan with a number of senior interlocutors, including President Ghani, during my visit to Pakistan in September 2015 and my visit to Afghanistan in December 2015.

We continue to emphasise to the Afghan Government that any Afghan-led political settlement involving the Taliban must protect the progress made in Afghanistan and respect Afghanistan’s constitutional framework, including protection for women and minorities.

A durable political settlement requires recognition from the Taliban that Afghanistan has changed in the last decade. The Afghan people will not accept the reversal of this progress, particularly on women’s rights. Women will have an important role to play in this process.

There is no evidence linking anyone conclusively to the death of Captain Lisa Head, and no such agreement was made with Afghan tribesmen.

Where there was sufficient evidence against Afghan nationals detained by UK forces, they were handed over to the Afghan authorities for further investigation and prosecution. All individuals conclusively linked to the deaths of UK Service personnel have now been convicted by the Afghan authorities.

There is a high threat from terrorism and other violence throughout Pakistan, including Karachi. The British Government regularly reviews the security situation in the country and is aware of reports of attacks claimed by various militant groups in Karachi. The main terrorist threat continues to come from Tehrik-e Taleban Pakistan (TTP) who have a mainly anti-state focus but also maintain, and have stated, an intent to launch attacks on western interests. Although Al Qaeda is diminished in Pakistan and under severe pressure, it is still capable of devising sophisticated attacks. Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) is a political party.

The Government is committed to partnering Pakistan in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, in the interests of both countries. We will continue to support Pakistan in developing its capacity to deal with terrorism, and in addressing its root causes.

We, along with our international partners in Afghanistan, share a common vision for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned political process to bring an end to many years of conflict. We welcome the talks on 7 July in Pakistan and will continue to work closely to provide what support we can to Afghanistan in their pursuit of a negotiated settlement.

We welcome the recent talks between the Government of Afghanistan and the Taleban and support a political process to end the long-running conflict. A successful outcome to a peace process would be a durable reduction in violence in Afghanistan, while also maintaining the progress made in Afghanistan since 2001. Ultimately, the process will need to be Afghan-led and Afghan-owned, and we support them in their efforts to bring the conflict to an end.