UN Secretary General Calls on Taliban To Reverse Ban on Education for Women

Jan 24, 2023, 08:19 GMT

On World Education Day, Antonio Guterres, the United Nations Secretary General called on the Taliban to reverse the ban on education for women. Guterres said that now is the time to end all discriminatory practices that hinder access to education.

January 24 is celebrated all over the world as "Education Day" and in 2023, the Taliban has prevented the reopening of girls' schools in Afghanistan for more than 490 days.

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Need Measures Against Taliban To Make Them Abandon Orthodox Policies, Say Afghan Scholars

Jan 23, 2023, 16:33 GMT

Several Afghan university professors and the minister of higher education during the republic era, called for more pressure on the Taliban. They urged for an increase in punitive measures against the Taliban so that they abandon the regressive policies against women.

The Afghan scholars called for these measures in an open letter to the United Nations Secretary-General.

This letter states that Afghan “women should work and travel freely and girls should continue their studies in school and university”.

They also asked the United Nations to stop all direct and indirect support to the Taliban.

A part of the letter states, "They (Taliban) should be held responsible for their illegal actions and be subjected to more pressure and sanctions within the framework of international human rights laws.”

According to the letter, since taking over Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban have issued more than 30 decrees that target all aspects of Afghan women's lives.

The letter also states that the Taliban ignores almost all human rights standards and it is time to step up efforts to ensure accountability of the group for violations of international law.

The letter states that if the international community does not take further punitive measures, the Taliban's "repressive" actions might continue.

Int’l Community Must Not Compromise on Afghan Women’s Rights, Says Activists

Jan 23, 2023, 14:26 GMT

Several Afghan women activists held a gathering in Istanbul against the Taliban's restrictions on women in Afghanistan. These women called for practical action by the international community against the Taliban.

The activists also stressed that the world should not bargain with regards to women's rights in Afghanistan in the name of engagement with the Taliban.

The Afghan women said that the situation of women in Afghanistan is deteriorating, and they are deprived of their basic rights.

The participants of the Istanbul gathering expressed their concerns about signs of the international community’s acceptance of the current situation of women in Afghanistan.

The Afghan women activists said that while women inside Afghanistan are deprived of their rights, the international community only emphasises on the Afghan women's right to education, which, according to them, is "dangerous" for the situation of women.

This is the first time that Turkey has allowed Afghan women to hold such a political gathering to protest against the Taliban policies.

This gathering was held on Sunday at the initiative of Rahela Dostum, the daughter of Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, the former Vice-President of Afghanistan.

Taliban Begins 4-Day Vaccination Programme in 16 Provinces of Afghanistan

Jan 23, 2023, 13:01 GMT

Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health announced the beginning of a four-day polio vaccination programme in 16 provinces of Afghanistan. According to the Taliban officials, around five million Afghan children under the age of five will be vaccinated through this programme.

Qalandar Ebad, the Acting Minister of Public Health of the Taliban, said that Afghanistan is closer to eradicating polio than ever before.

Ebad has asked Afghan citizens to cooperate with the officials for the implementation of the vaccination programme.

According to Taliban’s public health figures, in 2022 Afghanistan recorded two positive cases of polio in Kunar and Paktika provinces.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries that have not been able to eradicate polio cases.

Iranian Diplomat Questions Khalilzad’s Afghanistan Policies For His Remarks on Iran

Jan 23, 2023, 12:10 GMT

In what seems like a retort, a top Iranian official questioned Zalmay Khalilzad’s Afghanistan policies and what good it did for the country when the latter took a stance on Tehran’s nuclear programme.

Reacted to Afghanistan International’s news regarding the same, Rasoul Mousavi, Iran’s assistant foreign minister, indirectly said that Khalilzad is in no position to talk about US policies against Iran.

Mousavi asked the former US envoy for Afghanistan what good he had done with the United States’ policies in Iraq and Afghanistan and said that now he has no right to talk about US policies against Iran.

Khalilzad, who had severed as a US special envoy for Afghanistan, had said that reducing Tehran's capabilities is the only way to prevent the Islamic Republic from building nuclear weapons.

Mousavi quoted Afghanistan International’s report regarding Khalilzad’s stance and said, “Thank God for creating our enemies from fools.”

Nearly 2000 Afghans Arrested by Taliban In 15 Months, Says Rights Group

Jan 23, 2023, 08:27 GMT

Rights group, Rawadari, announced on Monday that the Taliban have “illegally and arbitrarily” arrested and detained at least 1,976 people in 29 provinces over the past fifteen months in Afghanistan. According to Rawadari, those arrested include 136 women and four children.

The human rights organisation stressed that after taking power in August 2021, those arrested by the Taliban have been mainly employees of the previous government, including members of the previous security and defense establishment.

Rawadari added that dozens of civil activists, journalists, and human rights defenders have been arrested and subjected to violence and mistreatment.

According to the rights watchdog, the Taliban have arrested hundreds of other people on charges of cooperation and membership with the National Resistance Front (NRF), dozens of women who protested the group’s policies, and several Salafi believers across the country.

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Need Measures Against Taliban To Make Them Abandon Orthodox Policies, Say Afghan Scholars

Jan 23, 2023, 16:33 GMT

The Afghan scholars called for these measures in an open letter to the United Nations Secretary-General.

This letter states that Afghan “women should work and travel freely and girls should continue their studies in school and university”.

They also asked the United Nations to stop all direct and indirect support to the Taliban.

According to the letter, since taking over Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban have issued more than 30 decrees that target all aspects of Afghan women's lives.

The letter also states that the Taliban ignores almost all human rights standards and it is time to step up efforts to ensure accountability of the group for violations of international law.

The letter states that if the international community does not take further punitive measures, the Taliban's "repressive" actions might continue.

Int’l Community Must Not Compromise on Afghan Women’s Rights, Says Activists

Jan 23, 2023, 14:26 GMT

The activists also stressed that the world should not bargain with regards to women's rights in Afghanistan in the name of engagement with the Taliban.

The Afghan women said that the situation of women in Afghanistan is deteriorating, and they are deprived of their basic rights.

The participants of the Istanbul gathering expressed their concerns about signs of the international community’s acceptance of the current situation of women in Afghanistan.

This is the first time that Turkey has allowed Afghan women to hold such a political gathering to protest against the Taliban policies.

This gathering was held on Sunday at the initiative of Rahela Dostum, the daughter of Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, the former Vice-President of Afghanistan.

Taliban Begins 4-Day Vaccination Programme in 16 Provinces of Afghanistan

Jan 23, 2023, 13:01 GMT

Qalandar Ebad, the Acting Minister of Public Health of the Taliban, said that Afghanistan is closer to eradicating polio than ever before.

Ebad has asked Afghan citizens to cooperate with the officials for the implementation of the vaccination programme.

According to Taliban’s public health figures, in 2022 Afghanistan recorded two positive cases of polio in Kunar and Paktika provinces.

Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only countries that have not been able to eradicate polio cases.

Iranian Diplomat Questions Khalilzad’s Afghanistan Policies For His Remarks on Iran

Jan 23, 2023, 12:10 GMT

Khalilzad, who had severed as a US special envoy for Afghanistan, had said that reducing Tehran's capabilities is the only way to prevent the Islamic Republic from building nuclear weapons.

Mousavi quoted Afghanistan International’s report regarding Khalilzad’s stance and said, “Thank God for creating our enemies from fools.”

Nearly 2000 Afghans Arrested by Taliban In 15 Months, Says Rights Group

Jan 23, 2023, 08:27 GMT

Rawadari added that dozens of civil activists, journalists, and human rights defenders have been arrested and subjected to violence and mistreatment.

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Need Measures Against Taliban To Make Them Abandon Orthodox Policies, Say Afghan Scholars

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Afghan Passengers Allege Extortion At Islamabad Airport

Taliban Order Cancellation Of Contracts Linked To Former Afghan MP

Taliban Ministers Made Nearly 100 Foreign Trips In 2025 Despite Sanctions

Iran Protests Enter Fourth Day As US Urges End To Crackdown

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Need Measures Against Taliban To Make Them Abandon Orthodox Policies, Say Afghan Scholars

Int’l Community Must Not Compromise on Afghan Women’s Rights, Says Activists

Taliban Begins 4-Day Vaccination Programme in 16 Provinces of Afghanistan

Iranian Diplomat Questions Khalilzad’s Afghanistan Policies For His Remarks on Iran

Nearly 2000 Afghans Arrested by Taliban In 15 Months, Says Rights Group