Pakistan special envoy meets UN human rights rapporteur on Afghanistan

Pakistan's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq Khan, met with Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan, to discuss the human rights situation and security challenges in the country.

Khan stated on X, formerly Twitter, that the Wednesday meeting covered developments related to human rights in Afghanistan. Bennett, who traveled to Pakistan for the Asma Jahangir conference in Lahore, met with government officials and institutions. During the conference, he warned of the consequences of deporting Afghan migrants to Afghanistan, urging Pakistan to uphold international commitments and avoid forced returns of at-risk individuals. Despite such calls, Pakistani authorities continue to detain thousands of undocumented Afghan migrants daily.

On the same day, the Taliban Supreme Court announced that a primary court in Kabul's second zone flogged 14 people, including eight women, for "extramarital sex and sex trafficking." It also reported flogging two individuals in Alishing district of Laghman province for theft. Over the past 10 days, the Taliban has flogged at least 87 people, including women, across Afghanistan for various charges, describing public floggings as implementation of Islamic Sharia despite international opposition to corporal punishment.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar announced the appointment of consuls general in Kandahar and Mazar-i-Sharif, among other diplomatic posts abroad, with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's approval. Dar expressed hope that Pakistani envoys would focus on economic diplomacy. These moves come amid rising tensions between the Taliban administration and Islamabad, with Pakistan accusing the Taliban of harboring terrorist groups, claims denied by the Taliban.

Marking the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on February 11, the UN noted 1,607 days since the Taliban banned girls' secondary education. UNAMA stated the deprivation paints a painful picture of Afghanistan's future. Former President Hamid Karzai praised Afghan women and girls' roles, urging them to pursue science and education.