Afghanistan Roundup: Women's rights, ban on women’s media work, Britain-Afghanistan partnership

Pakistan’s alleged propaganda

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai has criticised Pakistan for alleged propaganda against Afghanistan, prompted by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's remarks about the Islamic State threat in Afghanistan during the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit. Karzai emphasised that IS threats originate from Pakistan and urged Pakistan to avoid interfering in Afghanistan's internal affairs, local media Afghanistan Times reported. Meanwhile, Khan highlighted the importance of Afghanistan combating terrorism to prevent its spillover into neighbouring countries.

Ban on women’s work in the media

The Minister of Virtue and Vice for the Taliban, Mohammad Khalid Hanafi has issued a warning regarding female reporters' appearances on television. Hanafi cautioned that if women do not cover their faces during broadcasts or visual interviews, the Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, may prohibit women's work in the media entirely, local media Khaama reported. The Afghanistan Journalists Center expressed concern over this decree and called for its cancellation. Abdul Ghafoor Farooq, the spokesperson for the Taliban's Ministry of Virtue and Vice, recommended that women employees wear a "black covering with only their eyes visible" and advised against interviewing women without face coverings or masks.

Women’s rights

The UN special rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, delivered an assessment of the human rights situation in the country during the 55th session of the Human Rights Council. He highlighted widespread discrimination against women and minorities, emphasising the urgent need to prioritise human rights, particularly women's rights, in engagements with the Taliban. Bennett expressed concern over the Taliban's detention of women under the pretext of "bad hijab," and their release being contingent upon the guarantee of male family members. He called for accountability from the Taliban for their policies and actions, urging the international community to swiftly find ways to support Afghan women and girls, reports local media Afghanistan Times.

Britain–Afghanistan partnership

Robert Dixon, the British Embassy Chargé d'affaires for Afghanistan, held a meeting with Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, a political appointee of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release outlined that the discussion covered a range of bilateral and multilateral political issues, focusing on strengthening relations between the two countries and humanitarian assistance efforts, reports local media Bakhtar News. Also the importance of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan's participation in international meetings related to Afghanistan to ensure effective coordination and establish fundamental relations at the international level.

Human rights violation

The annual report on human rights in Afghanistan, published by Tolerance, an organisation dedicated to monitoring human rights violations revealed that 506 people have been killed and 266 injured in targeted killings, mysterious murders, suicide attacks, and mine explosions, the report sheds light on the plight of various groups, including former government Afghanistan employees, human rights defenders, ethnic elders, opponents of the Taliban, and civilians, reports local media Etilaaztroz.