The Taliban warned on Tuesday that the United States' airlift from Afghanistan must finish by August 31, adding to the chaos of an already tumultuous evacuation as new claims of human rights violations fuelled fears for the fate of thousands of civilians still trying to exit the country.

President Joe Biden is also committed to the timetable, according to a senior US official, despite European leaders' requests for more time. The Group of Seven nations will not recognize a Taliban government until the group ensures that individuals can leave the country if they choose to, both before and after the August deadline, according to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

A day after the CIA director met with a key Taliban leader in Kabul, the announcements set the setting for the last showdown. The extraordinary meeting highlighted the gravity of the situation and the United States need to collaborate with the Taliban as it seeks to conclude a two-decade battle with them.

In recent days, there has been a flurry of efforts to expedite the evacuation at Kabul's airport, where displays of desperation have underscored both the disarray of the US exit and fears that the Taliban would resort to the ruthless tactics they used when they previously dominated Afghanistan.

At a news conference, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the US must stick to its self-imposed deadline for evacuating all soldiers, adding that "after that, we won't let Afghans be taken out" on evacuation flights.

He further said that the Taliban will block Afghans from accessing roads leading to the airport while allowing foreigners to pass through to avoid big crowds forming outside the facility. It was unclear whether they would detain Afghans who are being escorted by foreigners or who are being evacuated by Western countries.

For the time being, the US military is in charge of coordinating all flight traffic into and out of Kabul Airport, where American and NATO personnel are assisting individuals in boarding evacuation planes. Since Aug. 16, the day after the Taliban took control of the country by capturing the capital, there has been no commercial aircraft outside of the evacuation operation.

After the expected U.S. exit, the Taliban will take over security at the airport, according to Mujahid. It's uncertain when commercial flights will resume, putting more strain on existing evacuation operations to get as many people out as possible.

According to the White House, some 21,600 individuals were flown out in the 24-hour period that ended early Tuesday, indicating a huge rise as the airlift picks up speed.

Meanwhile, CIA Director William Burns and Taliban leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar met, according to a US official — an exceptional moment for the US agency, which has been conducting paramilitary operations against the Taliban for the past two decades. It was unclear what they talked about.

Baradar was arrested in 2010 by the CIA and Pakistani forces, and he spent eight years in a Pakistani prison before the Trump administration persuaded Pakistan to release him in 2018 ahead of US-Taliban peace talks.

Burns' encounter with Baradar was originally reported in the Washington Post. Because the person was not authorized to talk publicly, a U.S. official confirmed the report on the condition of anonymity. Mujahid stated that he was unaware of any such meeting, but did not rule out the possibility that it took place.

Mujahid, on the other hand, disputed the notion that Afghans must escape, claiming that the Taliban have delivered peace and security to the country. He claimed that the main issue was congestion at the airport and that the United States was drawing away engineers, doctors, and other experts who the country relied on.

Earlier, UN human rights director Michelle Bachelet said she had credible reports of "summary executions" of civilians and former security forces who were no longer fighting, as well as the recruitment of child soldiers and limits on women's and girls' rights to move freely and attend school.

She didn't say when her reports were written or where they came from.

It's been difficult to figure just how common the abuses are and whether they contradict the Taliban's public declarations or reflect internal strife.

However, the reports have added to the rush of people fleeing the nation, fearful of a return to the Taliban's prior authority. The Taliban generally confined women to their homes from 1996 until the US-led invasion in 2001, banning television and music, chopping off the hands of suspected thieves, and carrying out public executions.

"At this critical moment, the people of Afghanistan look to the Human Rights Council to defend and protect their rights," Bachelet said. "I urge this council to take bold and vigorous action, commensurate with the gravity of this crisis, by establishing a dedicated mechanism to closely monitor the evolving human rights situation in Afghanistan."

Bachelet used the term "mechanism," to refer to the prospect of the council appointing a commission of investigation, special rapporteur, or fact-finding mission.

European leaders had anticipated that the US would consider delaying its pullout to allow for more evacuations because of worries about human rights violations. The Taliban have declared Aug. 31 to be a "red line" beyond which any presence will "provoke a reaction."

Heiko Maas, Germany's foreign minister, said the majority of his country's local employees in Afghanistan have yet to leave, and he termed Tuesday's meeting "very important" for addressing international access to Kabul Airport beyond the end of August. The deadline has been dubbed a "mistake." by Britain's defense minister.
However, after a G-7 summit, Britain's Johnson admitted defeat on modifying Biden's direction.

"We will go on right up until the last moment that we can," he stated. "But you've heard what the president of the United States has had to say, you've heard what the Taliban have said."

Biden decided to keep to the deadline after consulting with his national security staff, according to an official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a decision that had not yet been made public.

The tragic scenes at the airport have captivated the entire world. Last week, Afghans surged onto the tarmac, and others clung to a U.S. military transport plane as it took off, ultimately dying. At least seven individuals perished on that day, and another seven died in a stampede on Sunday. An Afghan soldier was killed in a shootout on Monday.