However, the extent of Qatar’s leverage over the hardline Islamist group has recently come into question, as Doha failed to influence the behavior of the group on key issues, including some most concerning to western countries such as the formation of inclusive government and protecting rights of women and girls.

“Women journalists are just the latest casualties in what has become the most serious women’s rights crisis in the world. But the Taliban are not immovable, and coordinated pressure has the potential to impact their decisions,” HRW said in its

The remark is significant as it comes ahead of a crucial Taliban meeting where the group is scheduled to revisit the issue pertaining to education for girls. Prior to Stanekzai, who is widely considered a moderate within the ultra-conservative group, senior leaders of the infamous Haqqani Network had also backed the education rights for girls.

Since coming to power in August last year, the ultra-conservative group has imposed several restrictions, including ban education for secondary level girls, and barring women from driving and traveling without male relatives

The ministry also ordered companies to hand over their weapons, operation information, contracts signed in the last two decades, and a list of the people and organizations they guarded so far. Importantly, a number of firms were also providing security to foreign embassies and international aid groups operating in the country

Significantly, the attacks by the TTP in the last few weeks have reduced significantly, as a result of the ceasefire announced last month, reportedly brokered by the intervention of the Afghan Taliban and tribal elders.

The extension of exemption will help Afghan traders. Earlier, New Delhi also provided 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to the country in the grip of a humanitarian crisis

When the Taliban was ousted from power in 2001, Afghan women had made tremendous gains —including the right to education and work. Most of these gains have already been erased in the group’s eight months' rule now

Tragically, the trend of early and forced marriages is growing across Afghanistan, aided by the ongoing ban on girls' education and escalating humanitarian crisis. There are several reports indicating the selling of children, particularly girls, by desperate parents.

Rina Amiri, US special envoy for Afghanistan’s women, girls, and human rights, said the Muslim-majority countries needed to champion the cause of Afghan women and girls. “Taliban policies denying girls and women education and jobs aren’t seen in any other Muslim-majority country,” she said.

The airstrikes by Pakistan in Afghanistan’s Kunar and Nangahar provinces resulted in the death of almost 20 children, sparking a series of protests against Afghanistan across several Afghan cities

For the country’s ethnic Shiite Hazaras, a historically persecuted community, the week has been the deadliest in recent months, with their places of worship and other community spaces being targeted by Sunni Jihadist ISKP. Over three dozen people were confirmed killed in these attacks

The relative calm of the last few months had also given rise to the notion among some analysts that the Taliban might have effectively controlled the ISKP. Recent development put a question mark on it

The bombings, the first in recent months after a winter lull, reignited the fear among the country’s persecuted minority Hazaras who have been targeted by Sunni extremists repeatedly in the past

The videos that went viral showed Afghans being brutally thrashed and beaten by what seemed to be personnel of Iranian security forces, and in some cases even by certain groups of civilians