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UN chief calls on Taliban to immediately halt offensive
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday called on the Taliban to immediately halt their offensive in Afghanistan, and warned that "Afghanistan is spinning out of control."
"This is the moment to halt the offensive. This is the moment to start serious negotiation. This is the moment to avoid a prolonged civil war, or the isolation of Afghanistan," Guterres told reporters in New York.
Guterres called on all parties to do more to protect civilians, Reuters reported.
He also said he was "deeply disturbed by early indications that the Taliban are imposing severe restrictions on human rights in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists."
"It is particularly horrifying and heartbreaking to see reports of the hard-won rights of Afghan girls and women being ripped away from them," he said.
Under Taliban rule between 1996 and 2001, women could not work, girls were not allowed to attend school and women had to cover their face and be accompanied by a male relative if they wanted to venture out of their homes.
The United States is sending in about 3,000 extra troops to help evacuate U.S. Embassy staff and Britain is deploying about 600 troops to help its citizens leave. Other embassies, including those of the Netherlands, Germany and Norway, and aid groups said they were also getting their people out, Reuters reported.
Since the start of the year nearly 400,000 people have been newly displaced by conflict across Afghanistan, and 10,350 internally displaced people arrived in Kabul between July 1 and Aug. 12, the United Nations has said.
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Afghanistan’s de facto consulate in Mumbai starts issuing passports
Afghanistan’s de facto consulate in Mumbai started issuing Afghan passports on Monday, the Islamic Emirate’s representative in Delhi said in a post on X.
The unofficial consulate said passports will be issued by them “to meet the needs of Afghan citizens.”
This announcement comes amid reports by various Indian news outlets that Delhi is considering accepting an Islamic Emirate representative, named Ikramuddin Kamil, as official envoy to Mumbai.
According to reports, Kamil recently arrived in India on a regular passport and not a diplomatic one.
The Afghan ministry of foreign affairs meanwhile said that the decision to issue passports to Afghans in India comes on the back of a decree issued by the Islamic Emirate’s Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
According to the ministry, it has directed the Mumbai office “to handle the process of distribution of passports to meet the needs of Afghan refugees, students and businessmen.”
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New Delhi considering Islamic Emirate’s request for envoy in India
The representative has already been selected and is currently working out of the Mumbai consulate. He does not however have a diplomatic passport.
The Indian government is considering accepting the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) request to officially post a diplomatic representative to the consulate in Mumbai.
Indian media reported Monday that the representative has already been selected and is currently working out of the Mumbai consulate. He does not however have a diplomatic passport, reports read.
According to the reports, the IEA’s representative is Ikramuddin Kamil, who previously studied in India.
If the request is accepted, the move would be a significant step towards formalizing diplomatic ties between the two countries.
No country has yet officially recognized the Islamic Emirate government but some regional countries have accepted Kabul diplomats.
A small “technical” team of Indian officials have meanwhile been working in Kabul for a few months.
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Malala Yousafzai calls for global support for women in Afghanistan
Malala Yousafzai, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and an activist for the right to education for girls and women, says the international community should stand up for the rights of Afghan women.
Malala Yousafzai said in an interview with Sky News on Saturday that she has started efforts to support women's rights in Afghanistan in accordance with international laws.
Malala says that leaders need to work for the rights of Afghan girls and women.
However, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesman of the Islamic Emirate, has repeatedly rejected claims about women’s rights being violated and has said their rights are ensured in accordance with Sharia law.
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