GCC Presses Taliban To Guarantee Women’s Rights In Afghanistan

Addressing the group’s leadership, Akhundzada emphasised that officials should implement Sharia in their own lives before attempting to enforce it on others, and should not meddle in one another’s responsibilities.

He urged Taliban members to “maintain coordination with one another, refrain from interfering in each other’s duties, and make every effort to apply Sharia first to themselves and then to others.”

The message, addressed to “Muslim brothers,” was published by Taliban authorities on Wednesday.

Akhundzada reiterated the importance of obeying his “orders and commands,” describing such obedience as “necessary and obligatory.” The message stated: “Obey the orders and commands of the Emir, for it is necessary and obligatory. Everyone must observe this and move forward within the framework of obedience.”

The Taliban leader again stressed the implementation of Islamic law (Sharia).

He also advised students and madrasa scholars to focus on their studies and “not waste their time on meaningless things.”

However, Akhundzada made no mention of the reopening of schools and universities for girls, which have remained closed for nearly four years.

The only reference to “women” in the message concerned Israeli attacks on Palestinian women and children.

Over the past four years, Akhundzada has issued multiple decrees that have severely restricted the rights of Afghan women in both public and private life.

His detention reportedly followed criticism of a Taliban official’s remarks opposing the participation of Taliban fighters in clashes between militants and Pakistani security forces.

According to Taliban sources in Kabul on Tuesday, the group’s Reform Committee arrested Sekandar after he criticised Saeedullah Saeed, the head of the committee. Sekandar had harshly criticised Saeed’s statement that no one has the right to independently wage jihad abroad without direct orders from the Taliban’s supreme leader.

Sources added that Sekandar is currently being held in Kabul alongside prisoners from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). The Reform Committee, formed by Taliban supreme leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, primarily oversees matters related to the TTP.

Sekandar, a vocal Taliban supporter on social media, has been inactive on his accounts for the past two days. Before the Taliban’s return to power, he worked as a journalist and was previously arrested by Afghanistan’s former National Directorate of Security, months before the collapse of the previous government, for allegedly collaborating with the Taliban. On social media, he has expressed support for the TTP and the Baloch separatist movement.

He resides in Khost and is known to have close ties with the Haqqani Network, particularly its media wing.

In a Facebook post responding to Saeedullah Saeed’s remarks, Sekandar had written: “What are you trying to prove with such statements?”

Saeed’s comments have sparked backlash from some Taliban clerics. Sheikh Abdul Sami Ghaznavi, another Taliban supporter, publicly rejected Hibatullah’s fatwa and argued that jihad does not require the leader’s permission. Under pressure from Pakistan, Mullah Hibatullah had issued a fatwa instructing Taliban fighters not to travel abroad for jihad without his approval.

Meanwhile, sources previously told Afghanistan International that the Taliban had imprisoned General Mobin, a high-profile figure close to the group, sentencing him to one and a half years in prison for statements and behaviour deemed contrary to official Taliban policies.

According to the Taliban embassy in Moscow, which spoke to the TASS news agency, Gul Hassan will assume his post after securing a visa and will formally take charge of the mission.

Gul Hassan previously served as a member of the Taliban’s Quetta Shura, the group’s leadership council.

Last week, Dmitry Zhirnov, Russia’s ambassador to Kabul, officially presented the agreement for Gul Hassan’s appointment to Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s foreign minister.

Russia recently announced its decision to accept the Taliban’s ambassador in Moscow and to elevate diplomatic relations with the group, following the removal of the Taliban from its list of banned organisations. The Afghan embassy in Moscow had already been handed over to the Taliban in an earlier move.

The deepening of ties between Moscow and the Taliban comes as Russia has repeatedly warned against any return of NATO and the United States to Afghanistan. In a recent statement, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said NATO was seeking ways to re-establish its presence in the country.

Moscow has also consistently voiced concerns about the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan, particularly the Khorasan branch of ISIS.

Several Hazara politicians who served in the former government publicly expressed support for the Taliban at the event and called on opposition figures to return to the country.

The event was organised by the Taliban-backed High Shia Commission of Afghanistan, which said in a statement that a number of former generals, senior officials and civil servants from the previous administration attended.

According to Taliban-run Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), hundreds of people participated in the event. Among the speakers were Ghulam Ali Wahdat, former governor of Bamiyan, and Mohammad Ali Akhlaqi, a former member of parliament and current head of the commission.

Speakers largely focused on urging the international community to recognise the Taliban administration and unfreeze Afghanistan’s foreign-held assets.

Addressing the audience, Akhlaqi said: “If you truly want our progress, then cooperate with this regime, engage with it, and recognise it. If you’re waiting for a government that merely follows your commands, that’s not going to happen.” He also praised the Taliban’s performance over the past four years and called on exiled political figures to return.

Wahdat said he now lives peacefully under Taliban rule and echoed the call for former military and political leaders to return to Afghanistan.

Jafar Sadeqi, head of the commission’s legal committee, added: “The Shia community has no problem with the Islamic Emirate, and we support all of its achievements.”

Mohammad Sangar, a former military officer, also encouraged ex-servicemen to return, stating that “the Islamic Emirate is based on principles that must be obeyed.”

The Taliban recently established the High Shia Commission of Afghanistan in an effort to build ties with the Shia population. The commission periodically organises gatherings in Shia-majority areas to demonstrate support for the Taliban administration.

Akhlaqi said the commission seeks to serve as a bridge between the Taliban and the Shia community, while advocating for their demands.

However, despite some expressions of support from Hazara and Shia figures inside Afghanistan, the Taliban has yet to meet key demands from these communities. The Taliban government continues to recognise only Hanafi jurisprudence in legal matters, excluding Jafari jurisprudence, which was officially used under the previous government to adjudicate personal status issues for the Shia minority.

Furthermore, aside from a few Hazara officials appointed as deputy ministers in lower-profile ministries, there are no Hazara or Shia representatives in the Taliban’s cabinet or top decision-making bodies.

The line will connect Central Asia to South Asia through Afghanistan’s Balkh and Logar provinces, aiming to boost regional trade and strengthen diplomatic ties among the three nations.

The planned railway line will begin in Termez, Uzbekistan, pass through the city of Mazar-e-Sharif in Balkh province and Logar province in Afghanistan, and terminate at the Kharlachi border crossing in Pakistan’s Kurram region.

In a recent phone call with Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Uzbek Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar stressed the importance of finalising the agreement on the Uzbekistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan railway project.

The new route is expected to cut delivery times between Pakistan and Uzbekistan by up to five days and reduce transportation costs by at least 40 percent.

Projections suggest that by 2030, the railway could handle up to 15 million tonnes of cargo annually, transforming the route into a major economic corridor. The line is also expected to facilitate passenger travel between the participating countries.

Following high-level discussions between Uzbek and Pakistani delegations in Tashkent attended by the presidents of both countries the three parties agreed to establish a trilateral coordination committee. The committee will oversee the remaining technical studies, financing and implementation of the US$4.8 billion project, which is targeted for completion by the end of 2027.

A Pakistani source familiar with the project described the railway as more than a logistical venture, highlighting its potential to unlock Pakistan’s US$240 billion economic capacity. The source said the route would give Central Asia unprecedented access to warm-water ports and could significantly reshape regional trade dynamics.

A large portion of the project 573 kilometres will require new rail construction inside Afghanistan. Reports indicate that experts have agreed on the route and its geographical conditions, with joint surveying and preliminary feasibility studies now under way.

Beyond its economic impact, the project also symbolises deepening diplomatic relations between the participating countries. Pakistan and the Taliban recently agreed to elevate diplomatic ties to the ambassadorial level.

The initiative aligns with China’s regional ambitions under its Belt and Road Initiative. Beijing has played a behind-the-scenes role in facilitating coordination between Islamabad and the Taliban, further reinforcing its position as a regional stabiliser.

For the Taliban, the railway offers a rare economic opportunity, with potential benefits including increased international engagement, transit revenues and greater regional integration.