In Afghanistan, the Taliban have barred women traveling without a mahram from boarding a flight.
According to Afghan Airlines officials, the Taliban prevented dozens of unmarried women from boarding domestic and international flights at Kabul International Airport.
According to officials, some of the women had dual citizenship and were returning home. Some of these women were from Canada.
The women had to travel to Islamabad, Dubai and Turkey. Officials say they are trying to resolve the issue.
It should be noted that a few months ago, the Taliban had issued orders that a male guardian must accompany a woman when traveling more than 45 miles.
On the other hand, the Afghan embassy and consulate in the United States have stopped their work and handed over the custody of the property to the US State Department. The diplomatic mission was facing severe financial difficulties due to the US government’s move to freeze Afghan assets in the US banking system. Many diplomats and staff members have been without pay for months due to sanctions.
Earlier this month, the State Department announced that the embassy would be closed and that diplomats would have 30 days to apply for humanitarian parole or residency. A quarter of people had not applied by then. Last week, the Afghan embassy wrote a letter to the US State Department stating that since March 16, 2022, Afghan embassies and consulates have suspended their operations and handed over their property to the State Department.
The letter noted that the Afghan embassies and consulates in New York and Los Angeles continued to operate and provide consular services to serve the Afghan people, even after the Taliban’s forcible and illegal occupation in August 2021. Be determined
The letter added that during this period, the Afghan embassy and consulate faced increasing operational challenges and limited resources due to the freezing of bank accounts, and the diplomatic mission sought assistance from the US State Department. The letter also stated that the State Department had suggested that handing over the embassy and consulate to the US government was the only viable option under the Vienna Convention. According to the letter, given that the operation of diplomatic missions is not sustainable, embassies and consulates have agreed to the State Department’s recommendations. However, Afghan embassies and consulates in the United States hope that a practical solution will be found immediately, especially in the absence of the necessary consular services for Afghan citizens in the United States.
The letter reminded that Afghans and Americans together have made great strides in human rights, women’s empowerment and democracy in Afghanistan. It was also claimed that unfortunately these achievements are now threatened by the imposition of authoritarian theocracy on our people by a terrorist group.
