Sad to See An Entire Year of Ban on Girls Education in Afghanistan, Says US Vice-President

During the interview, Khan also refused to urge the Taliban to grant Afghan girls and women the right to education.

Imran Khan stressed that Western countries should first integrate the Taliban as a member of the international community and then, discuss human rights with the group.

Imran Khan has been given the nickname "Taliban Khan" in Pakistan due to his support for the Afghan Taliban and other Islamist groups.

Pakistani authorities have repeatedly asked Western countries to recognise the Taliban despite depriving Afghan women and other people of their basic human rights.

Western countries, especially the United States, have said that they will not recognise the Taliban, if the group does not respect human rights.

Despite the positions of Pakistani statesmen, the Taliban consider their current policies in Afghanistan to be in accordance with "Islamic Sharia". This group has described the international community’s demands to respect human rights as "interference in the internal affairs of Afghanistan".

Following the official announcement of the ban on the education of women and girls by the Taliban, the Minister of Higher Education of the group had insisted that "religion" was more important than national interests and the progress of Afghanistan for the Taliban.

However, several reports have indicated that the Taliban has arrested, tortured, and killed dozens of former members of Afghan security forces despite a general amnesty announced by the group.

In more than one and a half years, Afghanistan International has reported numerous cases of murder and torture of members of the security forces of the previous government.

Many human rights organisations have also confirmed that the Taliban have detained, tortured, and in some cases killed several soldiers of the previous government.

However, Abdul Kabir said that there may have been problems due to "personal animosities", but this behaviour does not represent the Taliban's official policy. He claimed that the perpetrators of such actions within the Taliban have been addressed through the judicial system.

He clarified that Taliban members are acting according to the amnesty order and "all Afghans who used to work in any position with any regime are now living a peaceful and prosperous life in Afghanistan”.

Abdul Kabir informed these generals that if needed, the Taliban will use their experience.

In the statement, it has been said that General Afzal Aman and General Shoor Gul Pashtun spoke on behalf of former army generals in the meeting with Abdul Kabir. Afzal Aman was the general commander of the Kabul Garrison during the republic, and Shoor Gul Pashtun was the commander of the Thunder Corps.

General Dadan Lawang, and General Zaman Waziri, two other former army corps commanders, had been present in the meeting too.

The Taliban statement quoted these generals as saying that all employees and soldiers of the previous government are happy with the Taliban's "general amnesty".

The statement also quoted these generals and claimed that about 70 percent of the soldiers of the previous government are currently living in Afghanistan peacefully.

Taliban also said that these generals declared their readiness to cooperate with the group’s government.

These former senior army officials had previously met with Mohammad Yaqoob, the Taliban's defense minister.

General Afzal Aman, the Deputy Minister of Defense of the previous government of Afghanistan, had said in a meeting with the Minister of Defense of the Taliban that he is not afraid of cooperating with the government of this group.

The Taliban foreign minister discussed the Taliban’s participation in regional initiatives on Afghanistan during a meeting with Abdul Aziz Kamilov, Uzbekistan’s special representative for Afghanistan in Kabul.

The Taliban have repeatedly requested the presence of their representatives in meetings related to Afghanistan.

The Taliban was not invited to the Moscow consultative meeting on Afghanistan in 2022. At that time, the group called the meeting incomplete without the presence of Taliban representatives.

the Taliban foreign ministry in a statement said that Muttaqi appreciated Uzbekistan's "positive position" about Afghanistan. Muttaqi has also said that he hopes that the two countries will find solutions to common issues through bilateral relations.

The Uzbekistan special representative for Afghanistan has said that Tashkent is ready to advise the Taliban on agriculture and water management issues.

Kamilov also added that his country intends to increase the bilateral trade in Afghanistan to one billion dollars.

In a statement issued by the Taliban, Potzel has been quoted as saying that the UNAMA mission in Afghanistan has been extended for another year.

According to the Taliban’s statement, Potzel appreciated the message shared by Mawlawi Abdul Kabir on the occasion of International Women's Day.

The Taliban’s statement also stressed that Kabir expressed gratitude for Potzel's proposal to reopen foreign embassies in Kabul.

The Taliban have banned the right to education of Afghan women and girls until further notice.

On International Women's Day this year, Wahida Moharrami had called the Taliban's restrictions on women gender apartheid.

Muharrami was out of her home to participate in a Nowroz celebration programme, but did not return home.

The Taliban authorities have not yet commented on the reasons for the arrest and release of this women rights activist.