Page 15 - Taliban

Security Council unanimously slams Taliban ban on UN women workers

Ahead of an international meeting convened by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on dealing with the Taliban, the UNSC in a rare show of unanimity has voted unanimously to condemn Taliban

Watchdog for US aid to Afghanistan warns money could be flowing to Taliban

The watchdog for US assistance to Afghanistan warned lawmakers Wednesday that American aid to the country could be diverted to the Taliban as he accused the Biden administration of stonewalling his efforts to investigate. Unfortunately, as I sit here today I cannot assure this committee or the American taxpayer, we are not currently funding the Taliban, John Sopko, the Special Inspector for Afghanistan Reconstruction, testified to the House Oversight Committee. Nor can I assure you that the Taliban are not diverting the money we are sending for the intended recipients, which are the poor Afghan people. The stunning disclosure by Sopko comes as House Republicans are using the power of their new majority to hold the Biden administration accountable over its handling of the chaotic US withdrawal in August 2021. It also comes a week after the White House publicly released a 12-page summary of the results of the so-called hotwash of US policies around the ending of the nation's longest .

Ready to leave Afghanistan if can't convince Taliban to let women work: UN

The UN has said it is ready to withdraw from Afghanistan in May if it cannot convince the Taliban to permit local women to work for the organization, the head of the UN Development Program said

Taliban bans video games, music, foreign films in Afghanistan's Herat

Earlier this month, also in Herat, the Taliban closed restaurant gardens for women and families

No obstacles for United Nations to function in Afghanistan: Taliban

The Taliban's chief spokesman said on Wednesday there are no obstacles for the UN to function in Afghanistan, after they barred Afghan women from working at the global body. Last week, the country's Taliban rulers took a step further in the restrictive measures they have imposed on women and said that female Afghan staffers employed with the UN mission can no longer report for work. The ban is being actively enforced by the country's intelligence agency, which reports to the Taliban's leadership in Kandahar. The UN says it cannot accept the decision, calling it unlawful and an unparalleled violation of women's rights. It says women are crucial for the delivery of life-saving aid to millions of Afghans, and has instructed its national staff, male and female, to stay at home. Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban-led government's chief spokesman and part of the supreme leader's inner circle, denied authorities were to blame for Afghanistan's many crises. The decision to bar Afghan women f

Taliban bans women from entering restaurants with gardens in Herat

The Taliban on Monday barred entry of families and women into restaurants with gardens or green spaces in Herat province, Afghanistan, reported Fox News.The decision came after religious clerics complained of mixing genders in such places. Afghan officials said that the curbs have been brought in place because of gender mixing or because women allegedly are not wearing the hijab. So far, the ban is applicable to restaurants with green spaces in the Herat province only.The outdoor dining ban only applies to establishments in Herat, where such premises remain open to men. Baz Mohammad Nazir, a deputy official from the Ministry of Vice and Virtue's directorate in Herat, denied media reports that all restaurants were off limits to families and women, dismissing them as propaganda, reported Fox News.He said it applied only to restaurants with green areas, such as a park, where men and women could meet. "After repeated complaints from scholars and ordinary people, we set limits and closed ..

Taliban ban restaurant gardens for families, women in Herat, says official

The Taliban have banned families and women from restaurants with gardens or green spaces in Afghanistan's northwestern Herat province, an official said Monday. The moves followed complaints from religious scholars and members of the public about mixing of genders in such places, he said. It was the latest in a slew of restrictions imposed by the Taliban since they took power in August 2021. They have shut girls out of classrooms beyond sixth grade and women from universities, most types of employment, including jobs at the United Nations. They are also banned from public spaces such as parks and gyms. Authorities say the curbs are in place because of gender mixing or because women allegedly are not wearing the hijab, or Islamic headscarf, correctly. The outdoor dining ban only applies to establishments in Herat, where such premises remain open to men. Baz Mohammad Nazir, a deputy official from the Ministry of Vice and Virtue's directorate in Herat, denied media reports that all .

Biden review blames Trump for 'chaotic' 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal

A U.S. review led by the National Security Council of the chaotic 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan largely lays the blame on former President Donald Trump, saying President Joe Biden was severely constrained" by the decisions of his predecessor. The White House on Thursday publicly released a 12-page summary of the results of the so-called hotwash of U.S. policies around the ending of the nation's longest war, taking little responsibility for its own actions during some of the darkest moments of Biden's presidency. The administration said most of the after-action reviews, which were transmitted privately to Congress on Thursday, were highly classified and would not be released publicly. President Biden's choices for how to execute a withdrawal from Afghanistan were severely constrained by conditions created by his predecessor, the White House summary states, noting that when Biden entered office, the Taliban were in the strongest military position that they had been

UN Women chief Sima Bahous condemns Taliban ban on its female Afghan staff

"We will not replace our female workforce with men," she added

Taliban bans Afghan female employees of UN from work in eastern province

Female Afghan employees of the United Nations have been banned from working by Taliban authorities in eastern Afghanistan, UN officials said on Tuesday. The UN mission expressed serious concern after its female staffers were prevented from reporting to work in Nangarhar province. We remind de facto authorities that United Nations entities cannot operate and deliver life-saving assistance without female staff, the world body said in a tweet. Taliban spokesmen were not immediately available for comment and it wasn't immediately clear whether the ban extended beyond Nangarhar province. Despite initial promises of a more moderate rule than during its previous stint in power, the Taliban have imposed harsh measures since seizing power in 2021 as US and NATO forces were pulling out of Afghanistan after two decades of war. Girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade and women are barred from working, studying, travelling without a male companion, and even going to parks. Women mus

Taliban terrorist attack in Pakistan kills 4 policemen, injures 6

Taliban terrorists opened fire at a vehicle ferrying security forces in northwest Pakistan on Thursday, killing at least four policemen, including an officer, and wounding six others. The terrorists attacked the police mobile van in Lakki Marwat district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. The vehicle was on its way to the Saddar police station when it came under the attack, police said. Four policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), were killed and six others were injured in the attack, they said, adding that Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa police chief Akhtar Hayat Khan has ordered an inquiry into the incident. Lakki Marwat police spokesperson said the attack was launched in the early hours of Thursday, resulting in an exchange of fire between the police and the terrorists. During the gunfight, six policemen were injured, he said. A police statement said that the militants were equipped with advanced and heavy weaponry, the Dawn newspaper reported. The police were on alert a

Taliban urges for removal of officials from UN blacklist, says report

The Taliban has once again urged the United Nations (UN) to remove the names of its members from the blacklist

EU condemns gender-based discrimination by Taliban in Afghanistan

Where activities cannot be continued in line with the EU's principled approach, the EU support to those activities will be reconsidered, the statement said

Denial of women's right to education in Afghanistan not justifiable: UN

The denial of women's rights to education by the Taliban de facto authorities in Afghanistan has no justification on any grounds

Ban on women's education in Afghanistan increases gender violence risk: EU

Taliban has imposed draconian restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association, assembly, and movement for women and girls

Afghanistan seeks UN support for wheat storage amid concerns of drought

Afghanistan has sought help from the United Nations (UN) amid rising concerns about drought in the war-stricken country, asking the UN to provide storage facilities for wheat

More than 50% of Afghan journalists lost jobs since Taliban takeover: Rpt

Several journalists expressed concerns regarding the lack of information access and economic difficulties on National Journalists' Day, according to TOLOnews

Denied education, over 3 million Afghan girls face bleak future: Report

Over three million girls, once enrolled in schools have been denied their right to education since the Taliban takeover, and their future in Afghanistan seems bleak according to a report

Taliban's policies on women affecting Afghanistan's relations: Ex-minister

Taliban's policy on women's education and work will impact negatively Afghanistan's relations with the international community, former Minister of Finance, Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal said

No change in India's position on not recognising Taliban, says MEA

India on Thursday asserted that there has been no change in its position on not recognising the Taliban regime in Kabul, in comments that came amid reports of an Afghan foreign policy body asking officials to attend an online programme under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) initiative. The Institute of Diplomacy under the Afghan Foreign Ministry reportedly conveyed to officials in Kabul to register for the ITEC course which was to be hosted by the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Kozhikode. At a media briefing, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi also said that the Indian side does not issue any note verbales to any entities that are not recognised by New Delhi. A letter issued by the Institute of Diplomacy to informing officials about the ITEC programme also referred to a note verbale from the Indian embassy in Kabul on the course. However, Bagchi said there is no question of sending such communication entities that are not ...