Family of British Couple Detained by Taliban Urges UK Foreign Office to Demand Their Release

The family of a British couple detained by the Taliban has called on the UK Foreign Office to condemn their detention and demand their immediate release.

The Telegraph reported on Tuesday, April 1, citing Sarah Entwistle, the daughter of the British couple, who said that if American authorities were able to secure the release of Ms. Hall, the British government should also secure the release of her parents.

Addressing David Lammy, the UK Foreign Secretary, she said: "We want the British Foreign Secretary to issue a public statement condemning the Taliban for detaining our parents without any evidence of a crime."

However, a spokesperson for the UK Foreign Secretary stated: "We are supporting the family of the dual-national British couple detained in Afghanistan."

The Telegraph reported that the British couple has fallen victim to an internal power struggle within the Taliban regime.

According to the Telegraph's findings, the couple was detained on the orders of a commander from the Haqqani network.

A senior Taliban official told the Telegraph: "All of them [Ms. Hall and Reynolds] were arrested by the Haqqani network to extract concessions from their respective governments and to pressure Mullah Hibatullah."

The Taliban detained Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, in February as they were returning to their home in Bamiyan.

However, Fay Hall, an American citizen detained alongside them, was released last week.

According to media reports, the United States removed its $10 million bounty on Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban's Interior Minister, as part of efforts to secure the release of American hostages held by the group.