While Taliban leaders mark 5 years in power in Afghanistan, a UN official warns of a rights crisis
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Taliban rulers and other officials gathered at Afghanistan’s traditional Loya Jirga…
On the fifth anniversary of the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, leaders and officials convened at the Loya Jirga assembly hall in Kabul to commemorate the milestone. The delegates gathered to tout the claimed stability and end of conflict that the Taliban had brought after two decades of turmoil. However, a top United Nations official expressed grave concerns about the growing human rights crisis in the country.
Under Taliban rule, girls aged 12 and above have been denied access to education, a policy that the group had previously pledged to uphold. The administration also extended this ban to higher education for women, despite its initial assurances. Additional restrictions have been placed on women's lives, including prohibitions on their presence in public spaces like gyms and parks, participation in sports, and travel to distant locations without a male guardian.
During the ceremony, high-ranking Taliban officials joined with foreign representatives and numerous local citizens to deliver speeches celebrating the country's liberation from American forces. The Taliban's deputy spokesman, Hamdullah Fitrat, delivered a prayer for the protection of Afghanistan from occupation, aggression, war, and insecurity, while pledging that the people would enjoy peace, tranquility, and prosperity under the Sharia-based government.
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