Afghan Girls Lost 3 Billion Learning Hours, Says UNICEF

The Taliban stated that these individuals were punished with 25 to 30 lashes on charges of theft and extramarital relations.

According to a statement from the Taliban’s Supreme Court, the corporal punishment was carried out in public based on the decision of the criminal court in Spin Boldak district.

According to the statement, the Taliban sentenced two individuals to one year of imprisonment and 25 lashes, three individuals to one year of imprisonment and 30 lashes, four individuals to two years of imprisonment and 25 lashes, and two others to three years of imprisonment and 30 lashes.

Recently, the group flogged 63 individuals, including 49 men and 14 women, on charges of various offences at the central stadium in Sar-e Pul province.

Since the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, corporal punishments such as flogging, amputation, and execution have resumed.

Human rights organisations have repeatedly called for an end to public punishments of citizens and have expressed concern about the lack of access to defence lawyers and legal services for the accused.

Singh refrained from providing further details or specifically commenting on the Pakistani military attacks in Afghanistan during the press conference.

US officials have consistently expressed their support for what they call Pakistan's counter-terrorism operations.

Last February, at the same time as the Pakistani military's attack on targets in Khost and Paktika, Pakistani media reported that Donald Blome, the US Ambassador to Islamabad, told Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari in a meeting that Washington supports Islamabad in its fight against terrorism.

At that time, the Pakistani military stated that it had attacked the positions of the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) in these two provinces of Afghanistan, killing several militants.

Late last month, the Pakistani military also attacked TTP positions in Paktika.

Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering TTP in Afghanistan. The Taliban government officials have consistently denied this claim.

He urged Biden to assert his authority as the President of the United States and ensure Corbett's immediate release.

The Taliban arrested Corbett on August 10, 2022.

The Chairman of the US House Foreign Affairs Committee said on Wednesday that Corbett is being held in solitary confinement under very poor conditions and has developed physical health issues.

McCaul stated that Corbett has been involved in humanitarian aid and providing opportunities to people in Afghanistan for over a decade. He should not be treated as a criminal.

He again called on the President to act decisively and prioritise Ryan's immediate release.

Corbett’s wife has said that his mental and physical health has significantly deteriorated in recent months.

The Taliban have not disclosed the reasons for this US citizen's arrest. However, earlier, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a senior US official, that the Taliban demanded the release of Muhammad Rahim al Afghani, who has been imprisoned in Guantanamo since 2008, in exchange for Corbett's freedom.

At a meeting of the Central Bank's Supreme Council, Badri stated that the liquidity situation in banks has improved because "people's deposits in the Islamic banking sector have increased by 4% as compared to the previous quarter”.

According to the Bakhtar News Agency, Badri also spoke about the "improvement in the asset status, management, and liquidity of the banks”.

In the past two years, the value of the Pakistani rupee and the Iranian rial against the US dollar has significantly decreased. Additionally, these countries are suffering from severe inflation.

Experts say that the influx of financial aid from Western countries has helped stabilise the value of the Afghani.

These activists said that the Shia community must, if necessary, stand against the oppression of the Taliban, even through armed resistance.

This meeting, held on Saturday, June 8, was organised by Zakariya Mashkur Kabuli, a cleric and political activist, in collaboration with Shia Islamic centers in Frankfurt, Germany, to discuss the situation of Afghan Shias under Taliban rule.

The participants of the meeting said in a statement that the Taliban not only ignore the rights of Shias, but also that their policies threaten their security and lives.

The statement added, "The Shia community must stand against the oppression and tyranny of the Taliban in an organised manner and, if necessary, through armed resistance."

They also emphasised on the importance of cooperation and unity with other anti-Taliban forces.

Several Afghan Shias from Australia, Sweden, Turkey, and Iran also participated in this meeting online.

The participants stated in their joint statement that only by creating a united front they can stand against the "Taliban's aggressions" and achieve their civil rights and freedoms.

The statement added that this cooperation could include political, military, and social groups whose common goal is to confront the Taliban.

The activists in this meeting stated that trusting the Taliban is a mistake, emphasising that the Taliban consistently violate the rights of minorities and act with discrimination and repression.

The statement mentioned that the only way to preserve the rights and security of Shias is through continuous resistance and struggle against the Taliban.

They called on the international community and neighbouring countries of Afghanistan to support the Shia community's struggle against the Taliban.