Two-thirds of Afghan Population Need Humanitarian Aid in 2023, Says UN Official

Norov was addressing the European Union and Central Asia meeting, which was held on Thursday in Uzbekistan. The foreign ministers of regional countries and Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, were present in the meeting.

Uzbekistan’s foreign minister also stated that the formation of an international negotiations group to coordinate and talk with the Taliban officials was discussed in the meeting with the EU officials.

Norov also emphasised that Afghanistan should not be isolated from the world.

The Uzbek foreign minister called on the international community to make coordinated efforts and provide practical assistance to the Afghan people.

The dissolved bodies include the General Directorate for Combating Major Crimes of Administrative Corruption in the Ministry of Interior Affairs; the Directorate for Combating Major Crimes of Administrative Corruption in the General Directorate of Intelligence and Attorney General Office; the Court for Combating Serious Crimes of Administrative Corruption within the Supreme Court, and the Judicial Center for Combating Major Crimes.

The Taliban leadership has assigned the duties and responsibilities of the abolished institutions to the General Directorate of Criminal Investigations of the Ministry of Interior Affairs and the Military Court.

The Taliban dissolved the institutions related to major crimes of administrative corruption while many reports have been published in the past year of corruption within the Taliban.

Despite the widespread complaints about corruption by the Taliban members, the group has not responded to these reports.

Earlier, Human Rights Watch had emphasised that all Afghans have the right to freedom of assembly, speech, and opinion.

The Taliban arrested Zarifa Yaqoobi, a women’s rights activist, and four of her colleagues during a press conference in Dasht-e-Barchi area of Kabul last month.

The activists were on the verge of announcing the formation of the "Afghan Women Movement for Equality".

Earlier, Amnesty International had also asked the Taliban to release these activists.

After the Taliban's military takeover of Afghanistan, women have continuously held protest rallies against the strict laws and policies of the group, but the Taliban’s response has been arbitrary arrests and detentions.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesperson, had recently said that these activists receive orders from outside Afghanistan.

Sources said that the girl and boy had visited Bamiyan from Kabul about a month ago when they were arrested by Taliban forces at the Band-e Amir National Park on suspicions of a premarital relationship.

The sources said that each of them had been sentenced to 39 flogs.

Sources stated that the Taliban did not allow the audience to document the flogging scene. Two of these people, who had taken pictures of the flogging, have been detained by the Taliban.

Potzel reiterated the demand for inclusive political processes during his meeting with the members of the Faryab civil society in Maimana city.

The Taliban has been accused of monopolising power and violating the rights of citizens particularly ethnic minorities.

The group has ignored international demands to form an inclusive political process in Afghanistan.