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ISLAMABAD: The Afghanistan Journalists Center on Thursday condemned the Taliban&rsquo;s suspension of Radio Bamyan, calling for the station&rsquo;s immediate and unconditional reopening amid growing concerns over media restrictions in Afghanistan, according to Hasht e Subh Daily.&nbsp; Radio Bamyan&rsquo;s broadcasts were halted on May 17 by order of the Taliban&rsquo;s General Directorate of Intelligence, the daily reported, quoting the center.&nbsp;Taliban authorities reportedly said the station lacked a valid operating license, despite repeated efforts by the broadcaster to renew its permit. Radio Bamyan, established in 2003, aired social, health and religious programming for residents of Bamyan province.&nbsp; Its closure leaves only one private radio station operating in the province. The Afghanistan Journalists Center expressed alarm over what it described as an escalating crackdown on independent media since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021.&nbsp; The group said press freedom has sharply deteriorated, with many media organizations forced to cease operations because of mounting pressure and restrictions imposed by Taliban authorities. In its latest report, the center said that in 2025 alone at least 21 local television stations were either shut down or converted into radio stations following the Taliban&rsquo;s ban on broadcasting images of living beings.&nbsp; The report also said at least 10 media organizations have had their operating licenses revoked this year. The Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on journalists and media outlets since regaining control of the country, drawing criticism from international human rights organizations and press freedom advocates.

Journalists at an event in Kabul to mark Afghan National Journalists Day in March 2019, in support of media freedom and solidarity with journalists in the country

Afghanistan

The Afghanistan Journalists Center has condemned the Taliban’s closure of Radio Bamyan, warning that media freedom in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate under increasing restrictions.

Afghan Taliban’s closure of Radio Bamyan draws condemnation from Afghanistan Journalists Center

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: Students across Afghanistan are growing discouraged as the Taliban expand religious schools while public education facilities continue to deteriorate, according to the daily Hasht-e-Subh. Images circulating on social media in recent days showed students sleeping inside classrooms, highlighting worsening conditions in public schools and sparking renewed criticism of the Taliban&rsquo;s education policies. Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, modern education has been systematically weakened while the group has prioritized religious instruction through madrasa networks. According to the daily, subjects such as mathematics, physics and chemistry have received less attention in some schools, while greater emphasis has been placed on ideological, political and military-related topics aligned with Taliban teachings. The concerns come as Afghanistan&rsquo;s education sector continues to face severe economic strain. Many families struggling with poverty are unable to keep children in school, while restrictions imposed by the Taliban have further discouraged students from pursuing education.&nbsp; International observers and education advocates have repeatedly warned about the growing imbalance between religious and public education in Afghanistan. An international survey found that the Taliban had built 15 religious schools for every one public school, despite the country&rsquo;s deepening education crisis. Afghanistan&rsquo;s public schools also continue to suffer from shortages of qualified teachers, learning materials and proper classroom facilities, particularly in rural areas.

Afghan schoolboys in Helmand (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Afghanistan’s public education system is deteriorating under Taliban rule as religious schools expand, classrooms decline, and students lose access to quality modern education.

Afghan Taliban’s focus on religious schools is discouraging students from education

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. 

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

ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban has enacted a new law that allows authorities to classify occupied land as state-owned property and resell them to residents, raising concerns over possible confiscation of private land and the cancellation of long-standing ownership rights, according to an Afghan media report. The Taliban&rsquo;s Ministry of Justice announced Tuesday that the &ldquo;Law on the Sale and Distribution of State Land Plots and Issuing Construction Permits&rdquo; had been published in the official gazette, according to Afghanistan International. The measure, based on decrees issued by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, contains 38 articles across six chapters. Taliban officials said the law was intended to regulate the distribution, sale and ownership of government land for residential and commercial purposes. But several provisions indicate authorities could invalidate previous ownership claims and require residents to repurchase land already occupied by homes and businesses. Under Articles 7 and 8, the Taliban may designate land as &ldquo;state land&rdquo; even if residential settlements or housing developments already exist there. Article 11 imposes strict conditions on landholders. Individuals granted land must take possession within six months, while buyers of commercial properties must complete payment within three months or risk losing ownership rights. The article also states that if construction does not begin within three years, authorities may reclaim the property and cancel allocation contracts. The law further limits individuals to ownership of four residential plots in reclaimed housing developments, allowing the Taliban to confiscate any additional plots exceeding that number. Critics say the provisions could pave the way for widespread cancellation of private ownership rights and confiscation of land where families have lived for years. Articles 4 and 5 state that land prices will be determined solely according to Taliban regulations, leaving residents with no role in setting or negotiating prices. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has established a commission tasked with preventing land grabbing and recovering what it describes as illegally seized state property. However, reports from several provinces indicate authorities have confiscated and registered thousands of acres of privately held land under the designation of &ldquo;state-owned&rdquo; property. The law is likely to deepen concerns among Afghans over property rights and legal protections under Taliban rule, particularly in urban and residential areas where ownership documentation is disputed or incomplete.

Kabul skyline - (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

The Taliban has introduced a new law allowing authorities to seize land deemed 'state-owned,' including existing residential areas, and resell it to residents under strict ownership conditions.

Afghan Taliban to sell confiscated housing estates back to residents

ISLAMABAD: The United Nations has warned that hunger and food insecurity are worsening across Afghanistan, with women and children bearing the brunt of the country&rsquo;s deepening humanitarian crisis. The UN World Food Program (WFP) said in its report that Afghanistan continues to face overlapping challenges, including economic collapse, high unemployment and climate-related shocks that have destroyed livelihoods and left millions struggling to afford basic necessities. Rising regional tensions have also contributed to higher food prices, adding pressure on already vulnerable households. &ldquo;The little food we can afford we give to our children, but that is not enough,&rdquo; said Raqiba Ahmadi, a resident of Faizabad in northeastern Badakhshan province. She said her youngest daughter is recovering from malnutrition while her husband remains unemployed. Vulnerable sections of the population are in severe danger of malnutrition in the country due to a shortage of resources and a sudden surge in prices of staple foods. The WFP said persistent funding shortages have significantly reduced supplies of specialized nutritional food used to treat malnourished women and children. The agency warned that without additional financial support, millions of Afghans will remain at risk of severe hunger and acute malnutrition. The organization said it needed urgent funding to support millions amid a surging hunger crisis in Afghanistan.

Malnutrition in Afghanistan - (File Photo: UNICEF)

The UN warns that worsening hunger in Afghanistan is pushing millions, especially women and children, toward severe food insecurity and acute malnutrition.

Afghanistan hunger crisis worsens; women, children hardest hit, says UN

ISLAMABAD: United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, called Thursday for continued international efforts to recognize what he described as &ldquo;gender apartheid&rdquo; under Taliban rule, warning that sweeping restrictions on women and girls require sustained global attention. He made the remarks during a parliamentary conference on Afghanistan at the French National Assembly in Paris, according to Afghanistan International.&nbsp; Speaking to lawmakers, rights advocates and former Afghan officials, Bennett said the human rights situation in Afghanistan remains deeply troubling, particularly for women and girls facing severe limitations on education, employment and public life. &ldquo;Alongside realism about the situation, we must maintain hope for the people of Afghanistan,&rdquo; Bennett said, emphasizing the need for continued international engagement and support for Afghan citizens. Bennett also highlighted the role of the Afghan diaspora, saying communities abroad could help sustain hope and contribute to the country&rsquo;s future direction. Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed a series of restrictions on women and girls, including bans on secondary and higher education for girls, limits on employment and constraints on movement without a male guardian. Rights groups and UN officials have repeatedly condemned the policies as violations of fundamental human rights. The conference in Paris focused on Afghanistan&rsquo;s humanitarian and political situation, with participants discussing international responses to the country&rsquo;s ongoing crisis.

Burkha clad woman begs by the side of the road in Afghanistan (File Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett urges international community to recognize 'gender apartheid' in Afghanistan and maintain support for Afghan women facing severe Taliban restrictions.

UN rapporteur urges recognition of gender apartheid in Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&rsquo;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Ambassador Tahir Andrabi, has stated that no temporary ceasefire is currently in place with Afghan Taliban. Ambassador Andrabi, on Saturday, clarified that there had only been a time-bound pause lasting three days during Eid. He said, &quot;There is no temporary ceasefire in place. There was only a time barred three days pause at Eid. Which was over at that time.&quot; Meanwhile, earlier, on Saturday, Pakistan rejected what it called &ldquo;one-sided&rdquo; remarks by a British official regarding developments along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, urging a more balanced and informed understanding of the situation. In a statement, Foreign Office spokesperson said comments by the British Special Representative for Afghanistan did not reflect ground realities and lacked a deeper appreciation of the challenges faced along the border. The spokesperson said cross-border aggression and terrorist infiltration attempts from the Afghan side have continued despite Pakistan&rsquo;s &ldquo;goodwill gesture&rdquo; of a temporary pause announced in March 2026. He added that since then, attacks by the Afghan Taliban and activities by their &ldquo;supported proxies&rdquo; inside Pakistan have resulted in the deaths of 52 civilians and injuries to 84 others.

Foreign Affairs

Says, 'There is no temporary ceasefire in place. There was only a time barred three days pause at Eid. Which was over at that time.'

Pakistan says 'no temporary ceasefire in place' with Afghan Taliban

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday condemned what it described as &#39;unprovoked&#39; cross-border firing by Afghan forces in South Waziristan, saying civilians, including children, were injured in the latest escalation along the frontier, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Office of the Spokesperson) said. In a weekly press briefing, the spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, said Afghan forces carried out firing and shelling on April 26 and 29 in border areas of South Waziristan adjacent to Bannu district, including Angoor Adda, damaging homes and wounding several people, among them children aged 3, 8, and 10. The ministry said residents and tribal elders had voiced concern over repeated incidents and demanded an immediate halt to cross-border attacks. It added that Islamabad had expressed &#39;strong condemnation&#39; and was taking measures to assist affected families and ensure civilian safety. Diplomatic engagement on ceasefire effortsThe Foreign Office said Pakistan had maintained &ldquo;sustained engagement&rdquo; with both Washington and Tehran over the past two weeks, supporting ceasefire efforts and dialogue aimed at de-escalation. &quot;Pakistan remains committed to regional stability and international peace, reflecting our preference for principled, dialogue-oriented diplomacy in addressing complex geopolitical challenges and managing complex disputes,&quot; said the spokesperson.&nbsp; &quot;Pakistan has maintained open channels of communication with the concerned parties&quot;, he added, highlighting a series of high-level engagements led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, including multiple calls with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and consultations with leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and T&uuml;rkiye. According to the briefing, Sharif&rsquo;s recent visits to Riyadh, Doha, and Antalya focused on advancing regional peace efforts following a ceasefire between the US and Iran and talks hosted in Islamabad. The ministry said Pakistan&rsquo;s leadership, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Field Marshal Asim Munir, remained engaged with key stakeholders to promote stability. Separately, the Foreign Office said a European Union business delegation was visiting Pakistan and had held meetings with government officials and private sector representatives, with more than 600 business-to-business interactions expected on the sidelines of the EU-Pakistan Business Forum. In the Middle East, Pakistan also joined international statements condemning Israeli actions, including the appointment of a representative to Somaliland and violations at Jerusalem&rsquo;s Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. The briefing concluded with an update on President Asif Ali Zardari&rsquo;s ongoing visit to China, describing it as part of continued high-level exchanges marking 75 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Weekly press briefing (Screen grab: X/@ForeignOfficePk)

Islamabad flays Afghan cross-border firing in South Waziristan that injured civilians, including children, and damaged homes, while highlighting its ongoing diplomatic engagement with the United States and Iran to support de-escalation and regional stability.

Articles tagged with "Afghanistan"

Afghan Taliban’s closure of Radio Bamyan draws condemnation from Afghanistan Journalists Center

UN says Taliban marriage decree deepens discrimination against Afghan women

Afghan envoy says Taliban regime not eligible to claim UN seat

Afghan Taliban’s focus on religious schools is discouraging students from education

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

Afghan Taliban to sell confiscated housing estates back to residents

Afghanistan hunger crisis worsens; women, children hardest hit, says UN

UN rapporteur urges recognition of gender apartheid in Afghanistan

Pakistan says 'no temporary ceasefire in place' with Afghan Taliban

Pakistan condemns Afghan border firing, highlights Iran-US de-escalation diplomacy

Afghan Taliban’s closure of Radio Bamyan draws condemnation from Afghanistan Journalists Center