Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: A passenger bus collided with a truck in eastern Afghanistan&#39;s Ghazni province on Saturday night, killing two commuters and injuring 29 others,&nbsp;Xinhua reported, quoting&nbsp;the provincial police spokesperson, Khalid Sarhadi. According to the Chinese state media, the crash occurred due to reckless driving, with some of the injured in critical condition. The collision is the latest incident to expose the south Asian country&#39;s deteriorating&nbsp;<a href="https://pakistantv.com/article/truck-accident-kills-18-in-afghanistan" target="_blank" style="font-size: 18px;" rel="noopener noreferrer">road infrastructure</a>.&nbsp; According to the provincial police spokesperson, five people died in a similar road accident in the northern Kunduz province on Friday.&nbsp; Three others were killed in Baghlan province on Thursday, the Xinhua report said. Dilapidated highways, speeding, and the use of aging vehicles have transformed Afghanistan&#39;s roads into one of the deadliest transport corridors globally.&nbsp; According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Afghanistan recorded approximately 24 road crash fatalities per 100,000 population in 2021, the highest rate in Central and West Asia.&nbsp; As per WHO data, this translates to a fatality every 24 minutes on Afghan roads. The crisis extends beyond immediate fatalities. Roads in remote areas remain notoriously difficult to navigate, with narrow unpaved routes limiting access to markets, schools, and health facilities.&nbsp; According to the United Nations Development Program, poor road conditions have contributed to frequent accidents that claim lives and isolate communities across the country. According to estimates cited in the Asian Transport Observatory road safety profile, road crash fatalities cost Afghanistan approximately $1 billion in 2021, equivalent to 8% of the&nbsp;<a href="https://pakistantv.com/article/border-shutdown-grinds-afghan-economy-to-halt-deepening-humanitarian-crisis" target="_blank" style="font-size: 18px;" rel="noopener noreferrer">nation&#39;s GDP</a>.&nbsp; An annual investment of just $50 million could save approximately 4,000 lives annually, the observatory reports. The pace of road deaths shows no signs of slowing. Between 2016 and 2021, Afghanistan experienced a 6.4% annual increase in road fatalities while the Asia-Pacific region saw improvements, according to WHO data. Without intervention, the gap between current trends and Afghanistan&#39;s commitment to halve road deaths by 2030 will only widen.

Afghans stand at the accident site, after a passenger bus overturned on the Kabul-Kandahar highway, on the outskirts of Maidan Wardak province on August 27, 2025. (AFP)

Afghanistan

Poorly maintained highways, aging vehicles and speeding continue to fuel a worsening road safety crisis, with fatalities rising amid mounting economic losses.

Bus-truck collision leaves two dead, 29 injured in eastern Afghanistan

NEW YORK: A former Afghan Taliban commander charged by the United States with abducting a journalist and killing American troops in 2008 was sentenced Tuesday to 42 years in prison. Haji Majibullah, 50, was accused by US prosecutors of kidnapping an American journalist, identified as New York Times journalist David Rohde, and two Afghan civilians. He was also charged with the deaths of three US soldiers and an Afghan interpreter in an attack by forces under his command in June 2008. Arrested in Ukraine, he was extradited to the United States in 2020. He pleaded guilty last year to hostage taking and providing material support for acts of terrorism resulting in death, according to a Justice Department statement. &quot;Those who harm Americans and engage in acts of terrorism will be hunted down and brought to justice, no matter how long it takes,&quot; Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in the statement. Rohde was kidnapped in Afghanistan in November 2008, along with a translator and a driver. According to the Times, which managed to keep the news of his kidnapping secret so as not to endanger him, Rohde managed to escape from his captors in June 2009. Hassan Khan, a senior journalist and Afghanistan specialist, said the 42-year sentence will damage the Taliban&rsquo;s international image and could set a precedent for future prosecutions of Taliban leaders.&nbsp; &ldquo;This sentence is signaling that American courts &mdash; and possibly European courts in future &mdash; can arrest and charge Taliban leaders for actions dating back to their two-decade campaign against US and NATO forces,&rdquo; Khan said, noting the case&rsquo;s ransom and hostage elements that echo broader accusations of &ldquo;hostage diplomacy&rdquo; by the current Taliban.&nbsp; He added, however, that the sentence is unlikely to alter Taliban policy or governance inside Afghanistan, where he said the group feels largely immune to outside legal pressure and remains resistant to change despite internal and external pressures.

Spokesperson for the United States Department of State Jen Psaki holds a conversation with American journalist David Rohde (right). File photo: (Wikimedia Commons)

Americas

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche says 'those who harm Americans and engage in acts of terrorism will be hunted down and brought to justice, no matter how long it takes.'


Taliban commander sentenced to 42 years for kidnapping US journalist

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has urged the Afghan Interim Government to take &ldquo;verifiable and non-reversible&rdquo; action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory, warning that continued inaction threatens regional peace and security, said a statement from Pakistan&#39;s Permanent Mission to the UN, posted on X on Tuesday. The statement said that Pakistan&rsquo;s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, made the remarks during his address to a meeting of the UN Security Council on Afghanistan.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; line-height: 2;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2064178809021084107&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Farticles%2F&sessionId=6de7230131cdf91cedbd541779dd5a042d367d2e&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 629px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" data-tweet-id="2064178809021084107"></iframe></div></div>The envoy, according to the statement, said that Islamabad had supported Afghanistan through humanitarian assistance, trade facilitation, diplomatic engagement and regional cooperation efforts since the Taliban returned to power nearly five years ago. The statement quoted Ahmad&nbsp;as saying that Pakistan had expected the Taliban administration to transform into a responsible governing authority, fulfil its international commitments and ensure that Afghan soil was not used for terrorism against other countries. Terrorism from Afghanistan &quot;The ambassador stated that terrorist organisations, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), its Majeed Brigade, ISIL-K and the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), continue to operate with impunity from Afghanistan,&quot; the statement said. The mission statement quoted Ahmad as saying that Pakistan suffered more than 5,300 terrorist incidents in 2025 and lost over 1,200 lives in attacks linked to militants based in Afghanistan.&nbsp; &quot;He cited a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attack on a police post in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on May 9, in which 15 police personnel were killed, claiming investigations showed the attack had been planned from Afghanistan.&quot; &quot;The envoy said Pakistan remained open to dialogue and appreciated mediation efforts by Qatar, T&uuml;rkiye, Saudi Arabia and China. However, he expressed concern over what he described as the Taliban&rsquo;s refusal to publicly condemn groups such as the TTP and BLA,&quot; added the statement. According to the statement, Ahmad also criticized what he called shortcomings in international reporting on Afghanistan, saying greater attention should be paid to terrorism, illicit financing networks and the proliferation of weapons inside the country. &quot;He further voiced concern over the humanitarian and human rights situation in Afghanistan, particularly restrictions on women and girls, while reiterating Pakistan&rsquo;s long-standing support for Afghan refugees.&quot; Concluding his remarks, the statement said, the ambassador said Pakistan sought a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan but stressed that meaningful progress depended on decisive Taliban action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory. Right of reply Later, another statement said that in a right of reply during the Security Council session, Ambassador Iftikhar rejected criticism of Pakistan&#39;s counterterrorism operations, stating that recent strikes were directed solely against terrorist infrastructure operating from Afghan territory.&nbsp; He said the targets included drone facilities, ammunition depots and logistical sites allegedly used to support attacks against Pakistan, adding that no civilian facilities were targeted. &quot;He also accused India of using development and humanitarian engagement in Afghanistan as a cover to pursue policies aimed at destabilising Pakistan. He alleged that militant groups such as the TTP and BLA were receiving external support and criticised New Delhi for failing to condemn attacks carried out against Pakistani civilians and security personnel.&quot; Responding to remarks made during the debate, Ahmad said the international community&#39;s core expectations from the Taliban remained unchanged, including inclusive governance, protection of human rights and ensuring that Afghan soil is not used for terrorism against other countries, the statement concluded.

Foreign Affairs

Tells the UNSC that terrorists operating from Afghan soil remains its primary concern, urging the Taliban to take verifiable action against terrorist groups and address human rights violations.

Pakistan at UN urges Afghan Taliban to end safe havens for terrorist groups

JALALABAD: A truck overturned in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday, killing 18 people on board including 10 children, a provincial official told AFP. Deadly traffic crashes are common in Afghanistan, due in part to poor roads after decades of conflict, dangerous driving and a lack of regulation. &quot;Eighteen people (have died), including 10 children, five women and three men. In addition, 29 people have been injured,&quot; according to Abdul Malik Niazay, spokesperson for the governor of Laghman province. The accident happened on the road between Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan and capital Kabul.

Deadly traffic crashes are common in Afghanistan, due in part to poor roads after decades of conflict, dangerous driving and a lack of regulation.

Truck accident kills 18 in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Eleven terrorists were killed by Pakistan security forces during an intelligence-based operation in north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, according to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR). The military media wing said that over the last 48 hours, following intense and fierce exchanges of fire, &ldquo;eleven khwarij&rdquo; were killed in what it described as &ldquo;belonging to Indian-sponsored Fitna-al-Khwarij.&rdquo; Pakistan officially refers to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as &ldquo;Fitna al-Khawarij,&rdquo; drawing on a historical term associated with violent extremism, to underscore the group&rsquo;s ideology, attacks against civilians, and rejection of state authority. &ldquo;Weapons and ammunition have also been recovered from killed Indian sponsored Khwarij, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area,&rdquo; the statement said. The military said the operation is continuing to eliminate terrorists hiding in the area as part of Pakistan&#39;s ongoing counterterrorism campaign under &quot;Azm-e-Istehkam,&quot; approved by the Federal Apex Committee under the National Action Plan. It said the campaign by security forces and law enforcement agencies would continue at full pace to eliminate what it described as foreign-sponsored terrorism from the country. Islamabad has intensified counterterrorism operations against terrorist networks operating along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, with Pakistani officials saying Afghan Taliban authorities have yet to take effective and verifiable action against terrorist hideouts and cross-border infiltration routes used for attacks inside Pakistan.

Security

Pakistan security forces kill eleven terrorists during an intelligence-based operation in north-western Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Pakistan forces kill 11 terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa intelligence operations

ISLAMABAD: The interim Afghan government&#39;s new decree on marriage separation &quot;reinforces systemic discrimination&quot; and erodes the rights of Afghan women and girls, the United Nations said on Thursday. Published in mid-May, the 31-article code sets out various grounds for separation in Afghanistan, including a husband&#39;s prolonged disappearance, &quot;incompatibility&quot; between couples, renunciation of Islam and &quot;failure on the part of the husband&quot;. The decree, which appeared in the country&#39;s Official Gazette, also states that marriage contracts drawn by relatives &quot;on behalf of a minor boy or girl&quot; can be annulled, which suggests child marriage is permitted in Afghanistan, according to the UN. In most cases, the procedures for women seeking a separation are more complicated than those for men. The document, approved by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, &quot;is part of a broader and deeply concerning trajectory in which the rights of Afghan women and girls are being eroded&quot;, said Georgette Gagnon, deputy special representative of the UN secretary-general. It &quot;further entrenches systemic discrimination in law and practice&quot;, the UN statement said, adding that women and girls are denied &quot;autonomy, opportunities and access to justice&quot;. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban government in Afghanistan has banned girls from continuing their education beyond primary school, walking in parks and going to gyms, swimming pools or beauty salons. They are required to cover themselves from head to toe and are barred from many jobs. Any breach of the rules can result in arrest and imprisonment. The UN&#39;s Afghanistan mission (UNAMA) said that following a decree issued in 2021 in which the Taliban authorities had &quot;recognized certain rights for women, including women&#39;s consent to marriage&quot;, subsequent legislation has ultimately eroded those protections.

The United Nations says the Taliban’s new marriage separation decree further restricts Afghan women’s rights, reinforces systemic discrimination, and raises concerns over child marriage and access to justice in Afghanistan.

UN says Taliban marriage decree deepens discrimination against Afghan women

ISLAMABAD: Afghanistan&#39;s representative to the UN, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, has said that the Taliban regime in Kabul cannot claim the country&rsquo;s permanent representation in the United Nations. In a post on the social media platform X on Wednesday, Faiq said that representation in the world body is the legitimate right of a government, which has attained power and sovereignty through legitimate means and is based on the people&#39;s will. &ldquo;On what basis of positive action and what criterion of legitimacy do the Taliban demand the handing over of Afghanistan&#39;s seat in the United Nations?&rdquo; asked the Afghanistan representative in the UN, while responding to the Taliban Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi. Muttaqi had called on the UN to hand over Afghanistan&rsquo;s representation in the UN to the Taliban administration in Kabul.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1044px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2056940117466448305&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=e25130daab5261921bc286898b8a48ef2acefdba&theme=light&widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&width=550px">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</iframe></div></div> Naseer Faiq, an appointee of the former Afghan president Ashraf Ghani&#39;s government, still serves as the country&rsquo;s legitimate representative in the organization. However, the Taliban regime has its own designated representative who also uses the platform. The United Nations doesn&#39;t recognize the Taliban regime as the legitimate ruler of Afghanistan. Thus, the country&rsquo;s seat in the organization is still occupied by the appointee of the former regime. Faiq said that after five years of the Taliban regime, it has neither responded positively to the legitimate demands of the Afghan people nor to the explicit demands of the international community. He added that the doors of schools and universities remain closed to girls, women are deprived of the right to work and social participation, there is no legitimate and inclusive national system in place, corruption and repression have spread widely, and security in Afghanistan and the region has deteriorated further due to the harboring and support of international terrorist groups. Afghanistan&rsquo;s representative in the UN went on to say that poverty, forced marriages, suicides among youth due to unemployment, targeted killings of former military forces, suppression of freedom of expression, expansion of jihadist madrassas, and the promotion of terrorism and extremism have increased to an unprecedented degree. He said that only a legitimate government, which has guaranteed the rights of all citizens within the framework of the law without discrimination on grounds of gender, ethnicity, or religion, and has remained committed to its national and international obligations, can claim a permanent seat in the UN.

Afghanistan’s UN envoy Naseer Ahmad Faiq rejected Taliban demands for Afghanistan’s UN seat, saying legitimacy requires public mandate, inclusive governance, women’s rights, and compliance with international obligations and commitments standards.

Afghan envoy says Taliban regime not eligible to claim UN seat

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations has warned of a growing and potentially grave threat of nuclear terrorism emerging from Afghanistan under the Taliban.&nbsp;According to a UN report, the Taliban regime has sheltered international terrorist groups to sustain its rule, allowing militant networks operating from Afghan territory to pose a serious danger to global security.&nbsp;The report raises particular alarm over 133 tablets of stolen uranium dioxide taken from Tajikistan, which could potentially be acquired by the banned al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan. &ldquo;I think the threat has never been so high as it is today,&rdquo; according to Mauro Miedico, Director of the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre (UNCCT). &ldquo;Terrorist groups and individuals engage much more strongly with new technologies. Terrorist groups have recruited experts, including AI specialists, and we have seen the use of drones in terrorist acts. This potentially makes it more possible that they will launch a dirty bomb via drone.&rdquo;&nbsp;The report notes that al‑Qaeda has repeatedly signaled intent to conduct nuclear attacks, and that incidents of smuggling and theft of radioactive material have been recorded in several countries.&nbsp;Experts cited in the report say the combination of foreign fighters, modern technology available to militant groups in Afghanistan, and the sanctuary provided by the Taliban creates a real risk of nuclear terrorism.&nbsp;The findings echo warnings previously issued by the United States, Pakistan, European states and Central Asian countries, which have repeatedly described terrorism emanating from Afghanistan as a major security threat.&nbsp;The UN has called for strengthened international cooperation, improved controls on nuclear and radiological materials across the region, and enhanced monitoring and interdiction efforts to prevent dangerous materials from reaching extremist hands.

Artillery shells have hit areas near the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine since the full-scare Russian invasion of the country in 2022. (File photo: United Nations/IAEA)

The report notes that al‑Qaeda has repeatedly signaled intent to conduct nuclear attacks, and that incidents of smuggling and theft of radioactive material have been recorded in several countries.

UN warns of rising nuclear terrorism risk from Afghanistan under Taliban

ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Pakistan&#39;s Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif visited the Command and Staff College in Quetta on Monday, addressing military faculty and student officers, according to the Prime Minister&#39;s Office. PM Sharif praised the professionalism, operational readiness, and sacrifices of Pakistan&#39;s Armed Forces in defending the nation&#39;s sovereignty, the statement said. He paid tribute to fallen soldiers and acknowledged the military&#39;s commitment to the country&#39;s defense. The prime minister praised Pakistan&rsquo;s military victory led by Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir during Marka-e-Haq. He stated that Pakistan&rsquo;s restraint response to India&#39;s unprovoked aggression was recognized by the international community. &ldquo;Pakistan&rsquo;s mature, prudent and just stance was also acknowledged by the international community,&rdquo; he said. Pakistan&rsquo;s will &ldquo;defend [its] sovereignty and territorial integrity against any misadventure at all costs.&rdquo; PM Sharif stated how Operation Ghazab lil-Haq (a major counter-terrorism offensive launched by the Pakistan Armed Forces against the Afghan Taliban and its militant faction) was protecting the &ldquo;lives and property&rdquo; of Pakistani citizens against &ldquo;Afghan Taliban-based terrorist&rdquo; groups and dismantle their support networks. He also talked about Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;unwavering support&rdquo; for the people of &ldquo;Jammu and Kashmir&rdquo; and Palestine. The prime minister talked about the importance of military diplomacy and cooperation. He described Pakistan as a regional stabilizer contributing to peace and stability in the region, as the college hosts military students from allied nations, the statement said. Federal Defence, Interior, and Information Ministers and Balochistan&#39;s chief minister accompanied the prime minister. Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir had received PM Sharif upon arrival at the college. Terrorism cannot derail Pakistan&#39;s progress: CDF&nbsp; Meanwhile,&nbsp;Pakistan Chief of Defense Forces Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir warned that foreign-backed efforts to destabilize the country were doomed to fail, the military&rsquo;s media wing said.&nbsp;In an official statement, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) stated that the Field Marshal while on a visit to Quetta, said Pakistan&#39;s trajectory cannot be derailed by &ldquo;propaganda, fake news, or externally-sponsored terrorism.&rdquo;&nbsp;The CDF told officers and soldiers stationed across Balochistan that those working against Pakistan through proxies will ultimately fall short, given &ldquo;the resilience&rdquo; of the state and the unity of its people.&nbsp;Earlier in the day, the field marshal addressed faculty and student officers at the Command and Staff College in Quetta, one of the military&#39;s premier training institutions. He praised the college&#39;s academic and professional standards, noting that its graduates have consistently performed at a high level throughout their careers.&nbsp;&ldquo;The nature of war is shifting fast,&rdquo; the field marshal told the gathering. He urged officers to stay ahead of emerging technologies and evolving battlefield demands.&nbsp;The CDF called for tighter coordination across all three military branches and greater readiness for multi-domain operations.&nbsp;Turning to the security situation in Balochistan, the field marshal stated that Pakistani armed forces were committed to wiping out terrorism &ldquo;in all its forms and manifestations.&rdquo;&nbsp;He said that &ldquo;lasting stability in the province hinges on governance, development,&rdquo; and a &ldquo;focus on the needs of ordinary citizens,&rdquo; and not security operations alone.&nbsp;CDF Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir also praised the provincial government&#39;s ongoing work toward those goals.

PM Sharif told officers Pakistan's restrained response to India's aggression won international recognition and vowed to defend the nation's sovereignty at all costs while intensifying counter-terrorism operations against Afghan Taliban.

Pakistan's PM honors armed forces' sacrifice at military college

ISLAMABAD: The Taliban have introduced a new family law regulation that recognizes child marriage as legally valid under certain circumstances, drawing renewed condemnation from rights advocates who say the measure further erodes the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, according to an Afghanistan&#39;s Amu TV report published on Sunday.&nbsp; The relevant 31-article decree, titled, &ldquo;Principles of Separation Between Spouses&quot;, was approved by Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, according NDTV World.&nbsp;The decree allows relatives other than a child&rsquo;s father or grandfather to arrange the marriage of a minor boy or girl. Under Article 5 of the decree, such marriages are considered legally valid if the prospective spouse is deemed socially compatible and the dowry is considered appropriate. The Taliban have recognized underage marriages in&nbsp;under the article. Although the law permits a child to seek annulment after reaching puberty, it requires a court order, placing the burden on minors to challenge marriages arranged without their informed consent. The provision effectively legitimizes child marriage and strips children, particularly girls, of the ability to make decisions about their own lives. Coercion and fear&nbsp;Article 7 of the decree states that the &quot;silence of a virgin girl&quot; after reaching puberty may be interpreted as consent to marriage, according to the Afghan media report.&nbsp; Human rights advocates argue that equating silence with consent ignores the realities of coercion, social pressure and fear, especially in a society where girls and women have little freedom to express opposition. The Article 9 of the decree, in case of a girl seeking annulment of marriage, places the burden of proof on the girl and gives credence to the husband&#39;s oath in cases of dispute.&nbsp; This, rights advocates argue makes the process of accessing justice difficult for the girl, Hasht-e-Subh Daily reported.&nbsp; Restrictions on women&nbsp;The new regulation comes as the Taliban continue to impose sweeping restrictions on women and girls since reclaiming power in August 2021. Girls have been barred from attending school beyond sixth grade, women have been excluded from universities, and severe limits have been placed on their employment, movement and participation in public life. The United Nations has repeatedly condemned the Taliban&rsquo;s policies, describing them as systematic violations of fundamental rights and warning that Afghanistan is becoming one of the most repressive countries in the world for women and girls. Rights groups say the latest family law codifies discrimination and institutionalizes practices that endanger children&rsquo;s physical and mental well-being. Activists say the regulation reflects the Taliban&rsquo;s broader effort to entrench a legal system that treats women and girls as subjects of male control rather than equal members of society.

Child marriage in Afghanistan - (Photo: Wikimedia commons)

The Taliban’s new family law has sparked condemnation for effectively legitimizing child marriage and expanding restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights by allowing arranged minor marriages and treating silence as consent. 

Articles tagged with "Afghan Taliban"

Bus-truck collision leaves two dead, 29 injured in eastern Afghanistan

Taliban commander sentenced to 42 years for kidnapping US journalist

Pakistan at UN urges Afghan Taliban to end safe havens for terrorist groups

Truck accident kills 18 in Afghanistan

Pakistan forces kill 11 terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa intelligence operations

UN says Taliban marriage decree deepens discrimination against Afghan women

Afghan envoy says Taliban regime not eligible to claim UN seat

UN warns of rising nuclear terrorism risk from Afghanistan under Taliban

Pakistan's PM honors armed forces' sacrifice at military college

Afghan Taliban's legalization of child marriage, another assault on women's rights

Bus-truck collision leaves two dead, 29 injured in eastern Afghanistan