The Taliban repressed with tear gas and shots in the air a women’s march in Kabul, the fourth mobilization led by Afghans demanding their inclusion in the next government of Afghanistan. The insurgents have not yet announced how the cabinet will be made up, although in the week one of the leaders assured that “I might not have women” at the head of the ministries. This Saturday a plane from Qatar landed with a technical team that will be in charge of putting into operation the Hamid Karzai airfield, where domestic flights already operate. Clashes between Afghan rebels and Taliban fighters continue in the Panshjir Valley.
Tear gas and shots into the air
A group of women were repressed by the Taliban fighters. The protesters demand their basic rights to work and study, as well as their participation in the government. The mobilization that began in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was heading towards the presidential house in Kabul, however, the insurgents used tear gas to stop the advance of the activists. “They prevented us from continuing the march and said that it is not allowed to go to the door of the Presidential Palace“said one of the protest organizers, who requested anonymity. “They used gunshots and tear gas to disperse us, even if five women gather in a place to protest they disperse them”added.
Another participant, Razia Barakzai, 26told the Qatari network, Al Jazeera, that the combatants arrived armed and surrounded them to prevent them from continuing their march. “We were calm and peaceful the whole time, but they just wanted to stop us at any cost,” he said. Barakzai also said that the insurgents ordered them “Come home, each one of you, one by one” even though they continued to surround them.“It was strange, they didn’t want us to stay, but they didn’t let us out either”he added.
It is the second mobilization of women in the Afghan capital. “Today’s protest was in line with yesterday’s protest calling on the Taliban to give women meaningful participation in all aspects of life, including decision-making and politics.”, explained Samira Khairkhwa, another of the organizers of the protests who insisted they continue “Until the Taliban accept our demands, we will not remain silent or lock ourselves in homes.”.
A protester who also participated in the march was beaten by the combatants, according to Sharif Hassan, a correspondent for the US newspaper. The New York Times who shared images of the activist with a bloody face on social networks.
While in the southwest of the country, a group of women took to the streets of Zaranj, the provincial capital of Nimruz, to demand that the Taliban regime guarantee their basic rights, according to Ezzatullah Mehrdad, a correspondent for the North American morning newspaper, on his Twitter account. The Washignton Post.
The Executive Director of UN Women, Pramila Patten, explained this week that the incorporation of women in the future administration will be a “litmus test” to verify the true commitment of the Taliban to rights and freedoms.
The last anti-Taliban stronghold
The insurgents again postponed the announcement of their cabinet as they try to defeat the last anti-Taliban stronghold in the Panshjir Valley, where on Friday the Taliban had declared their victory. However, the former vice president of the deposed Afghan government, Amrullah Saleh, who after the capture of Kabul proclaimed himself president, affirmed that the resistance “continued and would continue”. Ahmud Masud, son of Commander Ahmed Masud, assassinated in 2001 by Al Qaida, ruled out the possibility of dialogue with the insurgents. According to Masud, the Taliban have “chosen the path of war”.
Airport reopening
While two people were killed and twenty wounded by Taliban shots into the air in celebration of the withdrawal of the United States after 20 years of invasion. Insurgent spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid called for the fighters to stop “shooting into the air” and “instead thank God.”
While the Persian Gulf monarchy in Qatar, the headquarters of dialogues between the Taliban, the US government and the deposed government of Ahshraf Ghani in the last three years, announced the partial reopening of Kabul International Airport to resume flights with humanitarian aid for Afghanistan.
The Qatari Ambassador to Afghanistan, Said Mubarak al Jayarin, assured that a technical team from his country will continue working so that “They may soon be operating commercial international flights” that also it would allow the departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who could not be evacuated before August 31.
A spokesperson for the Taliban, Bilal karimi, assured that domestic flights were also resumed, that were paralyzed after the capture of Kabul, which since August 15 only operated evacuation flights. “The first two domestic flights took off today from Kabul airport”said Karimi, who also stressed that a lot of technical work is needed for the airport to operate national and international flights.
“We hope that all the technical work will be completed soon, that the problems will be resolved soon and that the airport is ready for all domestic and international flights.”, he concluded. An employee of the Afghan airline Kam Air, who asked to reserve his name, assured that the Hamid Karzai airfield is ready for domestic flights. “We are preparing to organize the other flights,” he confirmed while noting that the airline’s offices are not open but that they hope to return to normal soon.
The insurgents also reopened the country’s largest stock exchange, closed since the Taliban took power. “The Shahzada market was opened today for forex trading and businessmen,” official Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid announced today in a statement.
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