PM promises to unlock hundreds of millions if new Afghan regime will agree to ...

Boris Johnson made a dramatic offer to the Taliban last night, saying the West would unfreeze hundreds of millions of pounds in funding if the group agreed to a string of conditions.

Despite failing to secure an extension to the August 31 withdrawal deadline, the Prime Minister claimed the G7's 'considerable influence' could help bring the Taliban to heel.

Mr Johnson, who hosted an emergency virtual G7 meeting last night, said the powers would allow Afghanistan's new leaders to access frozen funds if they allowed girls to be educated, prevented the country from becoming a breeding ground for terror and cracked down on the heroin trade.

He added that the G7's 'number one condition' was 'safe passage' for those who wanted to leave beyond the end of the month when Western troops pull out.

Downing Street said it was too early to say how much funding could be extended to the country and what it would be spent on. However, a statement from all G7 leaders suggested it would include humanitarian assistance.

It was reported earlier this month that the International Monetary Fund had blocked Afghanistan's access to £330million in emergency reserves. Yesterday – despite the West's demands – a Taliban spokesman said working women must stay at home for now for their own 'safety'.

Mr Johnson spoke after the meeting of G7 leaders, at which US President Joe Biden was said to have ignored pleas to extend the US evacuation beyond the end of the month.

The Prime Minister said: 'Today the G7 agreed a roadmap for future engagement with the Taliban,' adding: 'If those huge funds are going to be unfrozen eventually for use by the government and people of Afghanistan, then what we're saying is Afghanistan can't lurch back into becoming a breeding ground of terror, Afghanistan can't become a narco state, girls have to be educated up to the age of 18, and so on.'