UN asks Taliban to probe issue of missing Afghan women activists

The UN's top envoy in Afghanistan met Taliban's interior minister Sirajuddin Haqqani in Kabul on Monday, where she asked the leadership of the Islamist group to probe the issue of missing Afghan women activists.

Taman Zaryabi Paryani and Parawana Ibrahimkhel were abducted from their homes by the Taliban last week. The United Nations had earlier said it was concerned about the disappearance of Afghan rights activists.

"In a meeting with Sirajuddin Haqqani in Kabul today @moiafghanistan, UN envoy @DeborahLyonsUNurged the Taliban leadership to probe the issue and secure the liberty of the missing Afghan women activists who were reportedly abducted from their homes last week," the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a tweet.

Last week, the UN mission in Afghanistan had called on the Taliban to account for the whereabouts of the activists.

"The UN shares growing concerns about the disappearance of two Afghan women activists, Tamana Zaryabi Paryani and Parawana Ibrahimkhel, reportedly abducted from their homes overnight Wednesday. We urge Taliban to provide information on their whereabouts and to protect rights of all Afghans," the organization had said on Twitter.

Last month, the Taliban had issued a decree on women's basic rights and urged relevant institutions to take action to enforce them.

However, many women have repeatedly taken to the streets of Afghan cities to call on the authorities to respect their rights and ensure representation in the government.

Last week, the UN International Labour Organization said that after the Taliban takeover, employment of women in Afghanistan declined by 16 per cent.

( With inputs from ANI )

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