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UN asks IEA to probe issue of missing Afghan women
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to ensure the release of women activists who have been “reportedly abducted from their homes” since last Wednesday in Kabul.
Deborah Lyons, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, met with Sirajuddin Haqqani, the IEA’s interior minister, on Monday, urging “the Taliban (IEA) leadership to probe [the] issue and secure the liberty of the missing Afghan women activists who were reportedly abducted from their homes last week,” UNAMA said in a tweet.
Tamana Zaryab Paryani, her three sisters, and Parwana Ibrahimkhel, who had participated in recent anti-IEA protests in Kabul, were arrested from their homes last Wednesday, according to family members and eyewitnesses.
However, the IEA’s Interior Ministry said in a series of tweets that during the meeting Lyons thanked the Minister of the Interior for providing security for UN staff in Afghanistan. The interior ministry stated that they reassured the UN that its offices and staff would be secure.
The IEA also stated that Lyons noted the international community realizes it must work with Afghans to eliminate poverty.”
IEA spokesmen in Kabul and Doha have meanwhile repeatedly denied any involvement in the disappearance of the women activists.
The detention of these women activists was also discussed at a meeting of civil society activists with the IEA in Norway this week, but the whereabouts of the women is not clear.
Sebastian Gorka, Deputy Assistant to U.S. President Donald Trump, says efforts are ongoing to secure the release of all Americans detained in Afghanistan.
In a post on X, Gorka marked the anniversary of the release of George Glezmann, who had been held for 836 days, describing his detention as part of what he called the Islamic Emirate’s use of “hostage diplomacy.”
He added that Trump “will not rest” until all Americans held in Afghanistan are freed, naming detainees including Dennis Coyle, Mahmood Habibi, Paul Overby, and Polynesus Jackson.
“Kabul, you have been warned,” he said.
The remarks come amid increased US pressure, including a recent designation by U.S. State Department labeling Afghanistan a “state sponsor of wrongful detention.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has described the decision as regrettable, emphasizing that disputes should be addressed through dialogue.
The ministry, said that citizens of no country are detained in Afghanistan for bargaining purposes. Instead, some individuals have been arrested on charges of violating the law, many of whom have later been released after completing legal procedures.
Rana Sanaullah, Pakistan Prime Minister’s Special Assistant on Political Affairs, says Islamabad does not seek to impose war on Afghanistan or occupy any part of its territory.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday, he stated that Pakistan’s primary expectation is for Afghanistan to prevent militant groups from using its soil to launch attacks against Pakistan. He warned that failure to address this concern could lead to the continuation of Pakistani operations targeting such groups.
Pakistani officials have long maintained that militant attacks in Pakistan are planned from Afghan territory. However, the Islamic Emirate has rejected the claim, insisting that Afghanistan is not responsible for what it describes as Pakistan’s “security failures.”
Afghanistan has once again been ranked the least happy country in the world, according to the latest edition of the World Happiness Report.
The report, which measures people’s overall life satisfaction across 147 countries, placed Afghanistan at the bottom of the global ranking for another year, with a score 1.4 out of 10. Researchers assess factors such as income levels, social support, freedom to make life choices, perceptions of corruption, and overall quality of life.
For the ninth consecutive year, Finland ranked as the world’s happiest country, with a score of 7.7. Iceland and Denmark followed it, as Nordic nations continued to dominate the top of the index.
A notable development came from Costa Rica, which climbed to fourth place — the highest ranking ever recorded for a Latin American country.
Other countries with low rankings included Sierra Leone, Malawi, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
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