The European Parliament said a petition calling for the recognition of gender apartheid in Afghanistan and the designation of the Taliban as a terrorist organisation has been referred to its Committee on Petitions.
In a letter addressed to Baktash Siawash, the parliament said the committee would review the case and issue its decision in writing.
The letter noted that, due to the high number of submissions, the process may take time.
According to the document, the petition is titled “Recognition of Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan and Designation of the Taliban”.
The European Parliament added that registered petitions become public documents, subject to personal data protection regulations.
Mohammad Sadiq Khan, Pakistan’s special envoy for Afghanistan said he chaired an “Afghanistan–Central Asia Intergovernmental Coordination Cell” meeting with regional stakeholders, but no Taliban representative attended.
The Afghanistan–Central Asia Intergovernmental Coordination Cell (ACICC) is a framework for regional cooperation between Afghanistan and Central Asian countries, aimed at strengthening collaboration in trade, transit, connectivity and infrastructure projects, and reducing barriers to practical cooperation.
Mohammad Sadiq Khan wrote on X on Tuesday, May 5, that regional coordination, shared priorities and next steps for cooperation were discussed at the meeting.
He added that the possible inclusion of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in the Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement (QTTA) involving Pakistan, China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan was a key topic.
He also said increasing air connectivity between Pakistan and Tajikistan, as well as easing visa procedures for Tajik traders, were discussed.
However, the Pakistani envoy made no mention of Afghanistan’s role or position in the talks.
The meeting comes amid sharply deteriorating relations between the Taliban and Pakistan in recent months, including deadly clashes between the two sides.
In this context, the absence of a Taliban representative at a meeting bearing Afghanistan’s name may signal strained relations and reduced political and diplomatic engagement between Kabul and Islamabad.
The Taliban health ministry said Hamdullah Zahid, deputy minister for food and medicine, has travelled to Russia with a delegation to facilitate pharmaceutical imports to Afghanistan.
Following reduced trade with Pakistan and rising medicine prices in Afghanistan, Taliban delegations have travelled to several countries to find alternative import routes.
Taliban representatives have previously visited countries such as India, Iran and Uzbekistan.
In a statement released on Tuesday, May 5, the Taliban public health ministry said the visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Russia and expand strategic cooperation in pharmaceuticals and food supplies. It added that the trip also focuses on regulating the market and facilitating the import of standard, safe and reliable medicines and food products.
According to the statement, the delegation will meet officials in Russia’s pharmaceutical and health products sector to discuss areas of cooperation.
It added that visiting reputable Russian pharmaceutical companies, assessing production capacity, exploring advanced technologies in drug production and quality control, and promoting joint investment opportunities are among the key objectives of the visit.
The Taliban health ministry said these efforts could help exchange expertise, improve technical capacity and expand joint cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector.
The visit comes amid increased medicine shortages in Afghanistan following tensions with Pakistan and the closure of some trade routes. The Taliban are seeking alternative trade channels to address the problem.
Afghanistan International reported on February 9, in an investigative report that medicine prices in Kabul rose by up to 40% after trade with Pakistan declined.
According to the report, formal pharmaceutical trade has sharply decreased, and a significant portion of medicines now enters Afghanistan through smuggling routes.
UNICEF said on Monday it provided healthcare to over 20 million people in 2025, 60% of them women. About 7 million children were among those who received assistance.
UNICEF added that 10 million children and mothers received services and resources to prevent malnutrition, while 4 million children were provided with learning materials and teaching support in schools and emergency education programmes.
A further 2.7 million people benefited from emergency water and sanitation services.
The organisation expressed sincere gratitude to all its partners and donors for their “valuable support” in achieving its 2025 results.
UNICEF aims to treat more than one million children suffering from severe malnutrition in Afghanistan in 2026.
Despite criticism over deporting asylum seekers with criminal records to Afghanistan, Alexander Dobrindt, Germany’s interior minister, said the policy will continue firmly, calling such offenders a security threat.
He told the broadcaster ARD on Sunday evening that those opposing deportations should explain whether Germany would be safer if such individuals remained in the country.
According to published information, at least 138 Afghan asylum seekers have been deported from Germany to Afghanistan over the past year.
Reports also indicate that the German government has reached an arrangement with the Taliban to facilitate regular deportations. In return, the Taliban have been allowed to send two diplomats to Germany.
Human rights organisations and those politicians, who are critic of the move, argue that Afghanistan is not a safe destination for deportations under Taliban rule.
The Taliban have tightened restrictions on Abdullah Abdullah, a former head of high council for national reconciliation.
A source close to him told Afghanistan International on Monday that, due to these pressures, Abdullah has halted his media activities. Sources say phone access to him has also become increasingly difficult in recent weeks.
A review of Abdullah’s social media accounts (Facebook and X) shows that he has had no activity since around 10 April (late March 2025).
He did not even offer condolences on the death of the wife of Yunus Qanuni, former vice president a close friend and political ally, while Hamid Karzai, former president, and many other political figures issued messages of sympathy.
Abdullah Abdullah, Hamid Karzai and Gulbuddin Hekmatyar are three prominent political figures who remained in Kabul after the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
Initially presented by the Taliban as symbols of “general amnesty” and “national unity”, the three have in recent years faced increasing restrictions.
Pressure On Remaining Political Figures
Abdullah Abdullah has not given any interviews or public speeches in the past five years and is the only senior figure from the former government to have adopted complete media silence. While he has had limited permission to travel to New Delhi to visit family, his public and media activities have been severely restricted.
Hamid Karzai, despite regular meetings with Taliban officials and foreign diplomats, has also faced growing limitations, including reported pressure for forced exile and restrictions on his public role.
Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, leader of the Hezb-e-Islami, who initially welcomed the Taliban’s return, has in recent years come under heavier pressure, including orders to shut down all Hezb-e Islami offices nationwide, arrests of party members, confiscation of property and equipment, and eviction from a government residence in Darulaman.
Fawzia Koofi, former MP, has also faced serious pressure. Months ago, the Taliban confiscated her home in Kabul, and more recently 28 April 2026, raided her family’s new residence and detained several relatives and associates in Badakhshan.
These actions are seen as an attempt to pressure her over her international advocacy against the Taliban.
The restrictions are part of a broader Taliban policy to eliminate independent political voices and consolidate exclusive control.
The Taliban have declared all political parties illegal.
This escalation comes as the Taliban continue to call on political opponents abroad to return to Afghanistan.
Shahabuddin Delawar, former minister of mines and Noorullah Noori have recently spoken of general amnesty, citing Abdullah, Karzai and Hekmatyar as examples.
This contradiction, inviting returns while increasing pressure on figures inside Kabul and their families, comes amid serious regional challenges for the Taliban, including strained relations with Pakistan, reports of a shift in Russia’s policy towards the group, and international pressure over women’s rights and regional stability.
The Taliban authorities have not yet provided an official explanation for these new restrictions, and the international community and the United Nations have so far not responded.