Iran Bans Private Transport of Unauthorized Afghan Migrants, Imposes Penalties

He asserted, “When women are not permitted to call the Takbir or Azan, they certainly cannot sing songs or music.” This statement was released in an audio recording by the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue on Saturday, 27th October, emphasising that these restrictions would be implemented progressively.

Addressing international and domestic criticism of the Taliban’s restrictions on women, including the prohibition of women’s singing, Hanafi commented on recent reports from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which have closely examined the ministry’s activities.

Hanafi defended the ministry’s directives, stating that “the scarf was placed on our sisters to safeguard their dignity, while foreign influences seek to dishonour them.” He added that this rationale has led to the issuance of a six-point directive specifically governing women’s conduct.

The Taliban’s “virtue law” classifies women’s voices as “awrah” (something that should remain concealed) and mandates that women cannot leave their homes without a “mahram” (a male guardian).

The law, which also requires women to wear full coverage, has drawn widespread condemnation both nationally and internationally.

The images notably feature Karzai’s young daughter, Durkhani, seated prominently among male leaders and former officials, drawing widespread public interest and social media reactions. With the Taliban’s stringent restrictions on women and girls in public life, some observers have interpreted her presence as a “symbolic act of protest.”

In a post on social media, Abdullah shared two photos from the meeting, which took place on Saturday afternoon (27th October) at Karzai’s office in Kabul. He did not elaborate on the discussion’s topics or the significance of Karzai’s daughter’s presence.

The first image, taken inside Karzai’s office, shows Durkhani seated at the head of the gathering between Karzai and Abdullah, with other close associates of Karzai present. In the second image, taken in the office courtyard, she stands among the former leaders, her shawl draped over her shoulder.

Both Abdullah and Karzai, prominent political figures, remained in Kabul following the Taliban’s takeover and continue to meet occasionally. In light of the Taliban’s restrictive policies, which have barred girls from education beyond sixth grade and largely excluded women from public life, the presence of Karzai’s young daughter at the meeting has stirred considerable reaction on social media.

Activists suggest that this gesture could be seen as “symbolic and defiant,” given the Taliban’s views that limit the presence and voices of women and girls in public spaces. Karzai has previously engaged with women’s rights activists and has openly called on the Taliban to reopen schools and universities for girls.

Sources familiar with the matter revealed that Durkhani attends the Afghan-Turk school in Kabul, currently in her second year of primary education. Taliban policies have led to the closure of all secondary schools and universities for girls, effectively barring them from formal education beyond primary school. These restrictions have placed significant psychological and social pressures on Afghan women, with recent reports highlighting rising cases of suicide, forced marriages, and gender-based violence.

Stanekzai said that in a society people do not trust a system where justice has not been established and corruption and disorder prevail and then, flee the country.

"In any society where justice is not provided and people are not given equal rights as human beings and Muslims, people do not consider that system to be their own and flee the country," the Taliban official said on Saturday at the Taliban's Foreign Ministry's Institute for Strategic Studies.

Stanekzai also stated that Afghans have always been victorious on the battlefield, but they have lost in the political arena.

He stressed that if they fail to carry out their responsibilities properly and make the system "stable and lasting", they will be accountable to God and the "martyrs" of the past 20 years.

For the stability of the group's system, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister called for the expansion of relations with the international community, saying that the world is like a village and cannot be lived in without relations and trade.

Stanekzai also called on Taliban officials to take responsibility and stressed on the importance of paying attention to science and knowledge in the country.

After their return to power, the Taliban has closed universities and schools above the sixth grade to girls and confined women to their homes.

This comes as BRICS member countries have called for the formation of an inclusive national government in Afghanistan at their meeting in Kazan. The final resolution of the BRICS summit emphasises on the rights of ethnic groups and all citizens, including women.

Earlier, China and Pakistan also stressed on the need to form an inclusive government that includes all ethnic and political groups in Afghanistan. The Taliban has removed all ethnic and political groups from the scene and divided government seats among their fighters.

The ministry said Ugolini will manage Afghanistan-related affairs on an interim basis from Doha.

Earlier, the affairs of the Italian Embassy in Afghanistan were handled by Natalia Quintavalle, the Italian Chargé d'Affaires in Doha.

Sabrina Ugolini was born in Rome, Italy, in 1968 and began her career in this field in 1994, the statement said.

The new Italian ambassador, Sabrina Ugolini, wrote on the embassy's social media platform X that by assuming this responsibility, she will focus on human rights issues and the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan.

This comes even as Italy and no other country have recognised the Taliban so far, and many Western countries manage the affairs of their embassies to Afghanistan from Doha, the capital of Qatar.

Taliban leader Haibatullah Akhundzada has dissolved the pension system in Afghanistan and slashed the salaries of retirees.

Sources said that during these protests, one of the retirees was arrested by the Taliban members.

The demonstrations are part of widespread discontent among retirees who are suffering from the current difficult situation due to the economic crisis and the neglect of their basic needs.

Over the past three years, retired government employees have staged protests in Kabul and other cities. The retired employees allege that they have not received their pensions since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.

Protesters said that the non-payment of their salaries has caused serious problems in their daily lives.

Earlier, Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada had ordered in April this year that the pension share should not be deducted from the monthly salaries of employees. This decree means the abolition of the pension system in Afghanistan.