Afghan Permanent Mission to Geneva Seeks Extension of UN Human Rights Council Membership

Earlier on Monday, an explosion had rocked Mehtarlam, the capital city of Laghman province as a result of which around 15 people had been wounded.

No more details about the explosion had been given by the Taliban.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

"The Taliban contacted me regarding my work. I was told that “relevant [Taliban] departments have a few concerns” and that they want “details". I was also accused of making allegations when I had clearly stated that it's others making these allegations; I was simply reporting," she narrated her experience.

She added that she was bombarded with questions asking her to reveal her sources and asking them to put their lives in danger via WhatsApp by the Taliban officials.

She said that the Taliban has informed her that from now on “the government [Taliban] will be holding all sides accountable from now onwards, and anyone found breaking the law or unable to substantiate reports […]will be dealt with according to the law, which includes cancellation of visas and non-entry to Afghanistan.

"I've written critically about the US in Afghanistan, the republic government, and the Taliban. I’ve had supporters of all of the above try to silence me at times, but only the latter is now trying to actively ensure I no longer work in Afghanistan. "Investigations into my reports” are apparently not yet completed, she said.

She also spoke of how journalists have been detained and tortured and even killed for just doing their job.

She said that media in Afghanistan is no longer free-and without this crucial accountability, Taliban will continue to threaten the lives of many Afghans, including journalists.

In the #StopHazaraGenocide campaign, Twitter users have widely criticised the Taliban for failing to protect the Hazara people from targeted terrorist attacks in Afghanistan. Many Twitter users who are a part of the campaign believed elements from the Taliban have been involved in the targeted killings of the Hazaras.

However, the #UnitedAfghanistan campaign on Twitter has been widely backed by Taliban members and supporters.

These users have often used the #UnitedAfghanistan hashtag and tweeted with pictures of the Taliban leaders.

It seems that the Taliban officials and their supporters view the #StopHazaraGenocide campaign as ethnic-centered and have launched the #UnitedAfghanistan as a parallel campaign on Twitter.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted with the #UnitedAfghanistan hashtag and has written that "unity is the secret of our every victory".

Without referring to the #StopHazaraGenocide campaign and targeted killings of the Hazara people in Afghanistan, Latif Nazari, Deputy Minister of the Economy of the Taliban, who is an ethnic Hazara, has written on Twitter that "the enemies and their domestic agents have failed in achieving their goal, which is blowing ethnic rifts".

The report also said that 26% of girls are showing signs of depression as compared with 16% of boys as revealed in the research. It added that one year since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, an economic crisis, crippling drought and new restrictions have shattered girls’ lives, excluding them from society and leaving them hungry, with a quarter showing signs of depression.

The report, titled Breaking point: Life for children one year since the Taliban takeover, shows that 97% of families are struggling to provide enough food for their children, and that girls are eating less than boys.

Chris Nyamandi, Save the Children Country Director in Afghanistan, said, “Life is dire for children in Afghanistan, one year since the Taliban took control. Children are going to bed hungry night after night. They’re exhausted and wasting away, unable to play and study like they used to. They’re spending their days toiling in brick factories, collecting rubbish and cleaning homes instead of going to school. Girls are bearing the brunt of the deteriorating situation. They’re missing more meals, suffering from isolation and emotional distress and are staying home while boys go to school. This is a humanitarian crisis, but also a child rights catastrophe.”

As per Save the Children, nine in 10 girls said that their meals had reduced in the past year and that they worry because they’re losing weight and have no energy to study, play and work. It added that the crisis is also taking a dangerous toll on girls’ mental and psychosocial wellbeing.

Girls interviewed by Save the Children expressed disappointment and anger over the fact they can no longer go to school and said they felt hopeless about their future because they don’t have the rights and freedoms they had previously.

Save the Children director added that the solution lies in the corridors of power and in the offices of our global political leaders.

In an interview with Arab News, the former national security adviser emphasised that even figures among the Taliban believe that their regime cannot last long with their current governance style. He added that these figures are ready to cooperate with the international community.

Mohib stated that people have grown more disillusioned under the rule of the Taliban. He said that popular mobilisation will be formed against the group.

The former national security adviser called the protests against the Taliban, especially the women's protests, as signs of values and achievements that have been garnered under the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan governments.