Iranian Envoy Skips Meeting With Afghan Civil Society & Women At Taliban's Behest

Guterres stressed that women and girls in Afghanistan should have a meaningful presence across all life's facets.

In a statement made via his X social media platform on Tuesday, the United Nations Secretary-General advocated for the inclusion of women across the spectrum, from educational environments to the highest echelons of decision-making.

Guterres pointed out the necessity for the international community to ensure that addressing the needs and rights of all Afghan citizens remains a foremost concern for the country's current leadership.

He drew attention to Afghanistan's dire economic predicament, underscoring that the UN's humanitarian aid initiative has garnered less than three percent of its essential funding.

During a United Nations-sponsored meet in Qatar, which spanned two days, Guterres engaged with special envoys from various nations to scrutinise Afghanistan's situation. He remarked that the Taliban's non-participation in the Doha discussions had no detrimental effect, asserting on the substantial utility of these meetings.

Following the Taliban's reassumption of power in August 2021, they instituted extensive prohibitions on women, including shutting down schools for girls beyond the sixth grade and forbidding their attendance at universities and places of employment. Furthermore, the regime restricted women's freedom to travel and access to public spaces like parks and restaurants.

In the ensuing period of over two years, the Taliban have indiscriminately detained and incarcerated numerous women activists and protesters, in addition to many women accused of "improper hijab.”

Bakhtar news agency has reported that the recruitment of 12th-grade graduates will commence in 11 provinces.

According to the report, the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health has sent this letter to the public health directorates of Kapisa, Parwan, Panjshir, Maidan Wardak, Ghazni, Paktika, Logar, Khost, Badakhshan, Bamiyan and Paktia provinces.

This comes even though the Taliban has closed girls' schools beyond the sixth grade and prohibited girls from going to universities.

On the other hand, over the last two years, the Taliban’s National Examination Authority did not allow female medical students to participate in the Medical Council Exam.

Medical graduates are unable to open clinics or pursue careers in the medical field without successfully completing this exam.

It added that the total value of imports for the corresponding nine months amounted to $6 billion and 228 million.

According to the Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), based on the statistics of the NSIA, the most exported items of Afghanistan are dried fruits, medicinal plants, minerals, and fresh fruit, which are sent to Pakistan, India, and the United Arab Emirates.

The imported items include petroleum products, oil, machinery, transportation vehicle parts, textiles, metals, and metal products. These goods were predominantly imported from Iran, Pakistan, and China.

Meanwhile, the Taliban has prohibited journalists from disseminating news regarding this matter.

On Sunday, February 18, Mullah Shirin, the Taliban's governor of Kandahar, issued an official letter instructing government department officials to refrain from capturing photographs and videos during their official and unofficial meetings.

Following this order, the Kandahar governor's office has stopped including photographs in its statements, opting to release only textual content.

A local reporter told Afghanistan International, “Today, while attempting to create a television report, we were denied permission to interview officials from various directorates.”

It seems like the Taliban wants to make the media in Afghanistan similar to how it was during their previous rule.

The herald in the video asserts that cryptocurrency is considered gambling and haram (forbidden) according to Islam.

The footage shows two Taliban members on a motorbike, using a loudspeaker to campaign against the use of digital currencies.

The individual who shared the video mentioned it was filmed in the Sang Atash district of Badghis province.

Additionally, in a separate audio message, Abdul Samad Jawid, the Taliban-appointed governor of Badghis, announced a ban on digital and online currency transactions within the province.

He emphasised that individuals defying this ban would face legal repercussions.

The Taliban-led Central Bank had previously prohibited online trading in foreign currencies across Afghanistan.

The economic downturn following the Taliban's takeover in August 2021 has prompted many Afghans to explore online trading and digital currencies as a means to preserve their assets.