Category: Afghanistan

The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry announced that chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid will lead their delegation…reports Asian Lite News

Taliban on Tuesday confirmed their delegation will attend a UN-led meeting on Afghanistan in Qatar, despite organisers excluding women from the gathering. The meeting, scheduled for June 30 and July 1 in Doha, is the third UN-sponsored event on the Afghan crisis.

The Taliban were not invited to the first meeting, and the second, held in February, saw them set unacceptable conditions, such as excluding Afghan civil society members and recognizing them as the country’s legitimate rulers.

The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry announced that chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid will lead their delegation at the upcoming two-day meeting. Discussions will focus on international restrictions on Afghanistan’s financial system, private sector challenges, and actions against drug trafficking.

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 as American and NATO forces withdrew after two decades of conflict. No country has officially recognized the Taliban government, largely due to bans on female education and employment. UN officials, including Roza Otunbayeva, defended the exclusion of Afghan women from the Doha meeting, asserting that women’s rights issues will be addressed.

Recently, Amnesty International urged the Taliban to reopen secondary schools for girls. It said that Afghan girls have lost their right to education due to the Taliban’s “discriminatory and unjust policies.”

Amnesty International stressed that the Taliban’s policies violate international laws. A month after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, the group reopened schools that were shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, they banned the girls from pursuing studies in schools above sixth class.

In 2022, the Taliban issued a decree banning women from working in aid agencies and domestic organizations. In addition, the Taliban has also imposed restrictions on their free movement, further limiting their opportunities.

Media restrictions have deteriorated the situation, making it difficult for people to stay informed regarding the developments and for the international community to understand the full extent of the crisis, as reported by Khaama Press.

Earlier in May, United Nations officials have once again raised concerns about the situation of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

During a meeting titled “Women, Youth Must Have Greater Participation in Peacebuilding Efforts” that took place in New York, the UN officials the rights of Afghan women, especially the prohibition of girls from attending universities and secondary schools, TOLO News reported.

UN’s Undersecretary-general for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo characterised the state of women in Afghanistan as a lost cause.

“Ultimately, it comes down to a simple vision — of overcoming obstacles that deny the full contribution of women,” DiCarlo said at the meeting, TOLO News reported.

Moreover, Sima Bahous, Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), while stating the figures said, “1.1 million girls are without schooling since the 2021 ban in Afghanistan.”

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The elusive leader of Afghanistan made the call in his speech after leading Eid al-Adha prayers in Kandahar city…reports Asian Lite News

The Supreme Leader of the Afghan caretaker government, Hibatullah Akhundzada, on Monday, called upon Afghans to stay united and support his administration, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

The elusive leader of Afghanistan made the call in his speech after leading Eid al-Adha prayers in Kandahar city, the capital of the southern Kandahar province, on Monday morning, local media outlet TOLOnews reported, based on an audio-recorded speech.

“Brothers, accept the plague, but not disunity, because disunity is the worst disease. I do not want disunity among Afghans. If a group of people removes me, I will be happy, but I will not be happy with division among them,” TOLOnews quoted Akhundzada’s speech received by the private media outlet.

Afghans have started from Monday to celebrate the three-day Eid al-Adha holiday, the largest religious festival every year, with fervour and solemnity amid tight security, reports Xinhua news agency.

Earlier on Friday, in a congratulatory message before Eid al-Adha, the leader said that Afghanistan seeks to establish political and economic relations with all countries across the world.

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The incident occurred in the Basal area of Mohmand Dara district in Nangarhar….reports Asian Lite News

As many as 20 people have died after a boat capsized in Afghanistan’s Nangarhar on Saturday, Khaama Press reported, citing Taliban’s local officials.

According to the Taliban, five passengers of the boat have been rescued. Taliban-appointed governor’s office said that the bodies of five victims have been recovered so far, according to Khaama Press report.

The boat was carrying 25 people, including women and children. The deceased include women and children. In a statement, the Taliban-appointed governor’s media office stated that this “generator boat” sank around 7:30 am (local time) on Saturday.

The incident occurred in the Basal area of Mohmand Dara district in Nangarhar. So far, officials found the bodies of five people and a search is being conducted for the remaining bodies, Khaama Press reported.

According to the statement, the emergency aid teams from the Taliban-led Ministry of Health and other officials have been dispatched to the site of the incident to search for the victims’ bodies.

Earlier, an earthquake of magnitude 4.3 on the Richter Scale struck Afghanistan last week, the National Center for Seismology (NCS) said.

According to NCS, the earthquake struck at a depth of 173 kilometers at 9:21 pm (IST)

In a post on X, NCS stated, “EQ of M: 4.3, On: 29/05/2024, 21:21:29 IST, Lat: 36.52 N, Long: 70.78 E, Depth: 173 Km, Location: Afghanistan.”

No casualties have been reported yet. Further details are awaited.

Earlier on May 1, an earthquake of magnitude 4.0 on the Richter Scale jolted Afghanistan on Wednesday, according to the National Centre for Seismology (NCS).

The epicentre of the earthquake was located at Latitude 26.34 and Longitude 95.85, at a depth of 10 kilometres, the NCS had stated. (ANI)

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UN’s Undersecretary-general for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo characterised the state of women in Afghanistan as a lost cause….reports Asian Lite News

As Afghan women continue to remain deprived of their basic rights, United Nations officials have once again raised concerns about the situation of women in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.

During a meeting titled “Women, Youth Must Have Greater Participation in Peacebuilding Efforts” that took place in New York, the UN officials the rights of Afghan women, especially the prohibition of girls from attending universities and secondary schools, TOLOnews reported.

UN’s Undersecretary-general for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo characterised the state of women in Afghanistan as a lost cause.

“Ultimately, it comes down to a simple vision — of overcoming obstacles that deny the full contribution of women,” DiCarlo said at the meeting.

Moreover, Sima Bahous, Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), while stating the figures said, “1.1 million girls are without schooling since the 2021 ban in Afghanistan.”

More than two and a half years have passed, but the Taliban has yet to make any new statements regarding the reopening of schools for girls above sixth grade. As the Taliban solidifies its control over Afghanistan, the humanitarian crisis in the country continue to worsen.

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, emphasized the importance of engaging with current Afghan officials while also stressing the need to “ensure the rights of women and girls” in Afghanistan.

“We continue on the same path in terms of Afghanistan which is engaging with the de facto authorities, because they are the de facto authorities in Afghanistan. We also continue to push them constantly and continuously on the issue of the rights of women and girls which are their rights to have which are being denied on a daily basis almost across the border,” he said at the meeting, according to TOLOnews.

However, despite international outcry, the Taliban has not made any concrete decision on when the schools will be opened for girls in the country

Time and again, the Taliban has reiterated that women’s rights in Afghanistan are ensured within the framework of Islamic law.

The spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, Zabihullah Mujahid, said: “Men and women in Afghanistan have rights, and the Islamic Emirate is committed to providing those rights as endorsed by Islamic law. The Islamic Emirate strives to address the rights of all citizens of the country,” according to TOLOnews report.

Afghanistan’s delegate at the UN Human Rights Council, meanwhile, highlighted the nation’s efforts to achieve gender equality and demanded the lifting of limitations on women and girls.

With infrastructure crumbling and essential services disrupted, millions are at risk of starvation and diseases in Afghanistan as the nation remains under a humanitarian crisis.

Humanitarian organisations struggle to provide aid amidst security concerns and logistical challenges.

The ban on girls’ schools since the Taliban takeover has led to a generation of girls deprived of education, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality. (ANI)

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