January 26, 2022
3 mins read

Afghan women activists submit demands to Taliban in Oslo

Afghan women’s rights activists have submitted a paper to the Taliban delegation visiting Norway demanding rights…reports Asian Lite News


Hoda Khamosh, one of the women’s rights representatives at the meeting, called for the release of two female activists who disappeared last week, reported Tolo News.

Another Afghan activist Mahbouba Seraj, who attended the meeting, said the Islamic Emirate should fulfill whatever they promise at the meeting.

“If they continue this way, to tell us something and do something else, that’s when the trust is going to break, completely. When the trust breaks completely, they should remember what happened to the ex-government of Afghanistan. We lost trust with them too. The people of Afghanistan could not find themselves in that government either,” said Mahbouba Seraj.



“Yes, they were listening. I should say that. They really were listening. We gave them a paper. We asked them what we wanted. They took it. They were very, very cordial about it,” she said.

“The representatives of the international community spoke their own concerns over human rights and the rights of women and stressed that the Taliban need to build trust,” said Nazifa Jalali after attending the meeting.

At the same time, Amir Khan Muttaqi said, “We will try and ask about the incident (in which women activists were allegedly arrested by the Taliban). It is not possible in a government that has 40 million citizens that no one gets arrested and jailed and that we can not protect people from harm. It is possible, it is a government, some people are jailed, some people get released. It is not an abnormal action … that only exists in Afghanistan,” said Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Recently, the UN and the Human Rights Watch (HRW) have demanded the immediate launch of an inquiry into the disappearance of two Afghan activists, who were reportedly abducted from their homes, the media reported.

In a statement on Sunday, the UN Assistant Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) expressed grave concerns over the “disappearance of two Afghan women activists, Tamana Zaryabi Paryani and Parawana Ibrahimkhel, reportedly abducted from their homes overnight on Wednesday (January 19)”, reports TOLO News.

“We urge the Taliban to provide information on their whereabouts and to protect rights of all Afghans,” the UNAMA said.

Paryani and Ibrahimkhel had staged demonstrations in support of women’s rights in Kabul.

“We are deeply concerned about the whereabouts of the two protesters who were arrested on Wednesday night. It has been four days now that they have been missing and there is no information. The Taliban have denied that they have taken these women, but they also haven’t indicated that they have any knowledge of their whereabouts or any plan to try to locate them,” said Heather Barr, Associate women’s rights director of the HRW.

Meanwhile, some women’s rights activists staged gatherings in the capital Kabul and central province of Bamiyan, where they called for the release of Paryani and Ibrahimkhel.

ALSO READ: Afghan girls will be back in schools by March: Taliban

“We are not aware of the location of the women who have been detained despite five days passing. Why is everyone silent … at least inform us about their health condition,” said a participant.

“We call on the UN to hear the voice of Afghan women, especially the voice of female protesters, because protesting is the right of every citizen. The protestors must not be suppressed,” said Waheeda Amiri, a women’s rights activist.

However, the Taliban government have denied the alleged arrests of these two activists, saying that it has started an investigation into the case.

“The investigation is underway to find out the truth, but we haven’t found any clues about them. Efforts are underway,” TOLO News quoted Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman, as saying.

Previous Story

Taliban returning to its old ways, says think-tank

Next Story

Tamil Nadu tableau finds pride of place in Chennai

Latest from Afghanistan

Trump’s Order Strands Thousands of Afghans

Sources in the Pakistan government have also expressed serious concerns over the latest development….reports Asian Lite News US President Donald Trump’s executive order to suspend the refugee program has raised serious doubts

New Delhi vows stronger Afghan engagement 

Jaiswal elaborated that India seeks to continue its long-standing relationship with Afghanistan by strengthening humanitarian and developmental support….reports Asian Lite News India wants to engage more with the “government of the people

Pakistan Alarmed by India-Taliban Engagement

In the past, Pakistan has had serious reservations against what it termed as India’s influence and presence inside Afghanistan. And the same concerns can quickly re-emerge if Islamabad continues with its current

India and Taliban forge new path as rivals watch 

India’s foreign ministry, meanwhile, stated it was exploring development projects in Afghanistan and enhancing trade ties…reports Asian Lite News In their highest-level engagement since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, India’s
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Egypt appoints 100 women as judges at State Council

Nearly 100 women have taken the constitutional oath and become

Taliban say committed to Afghan peace talks

Officials have raised concerns over the stalling negotiations and have