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Afghan rights watchdog slams move to ban girls from singing

Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said in a statement on Thursday that the Ministry of Education was in violation of Afghan laws, Child Rights and the country’s Constitution following its move to ban all school girls in the country from singing and performing in public.
“All boys and girls can exercise their rights equally and freely within the law,” read the statement, adding that “any restriction on the rights and freedoms of children is against the general principles of human rights, the Convention on the rights of the children and the national laws of Afghanistan, in particular the Constitution and the law on the protection of the rights of the children.”
According to the AIHRC “the right to education, freedom of expression and access to artistic skills are fundamental rights of all children.”
AIHRC said the Ministry of Education should preserve children’s rights not promote gender discrimination.
The AIHRC said it is expected that the Ministry of Education should make decisions “based on principles to support freedom, equality and the highest interests of children and not promote gender discrimination.”
This comes after the Ministry of Education announced on Wednesday it has imposed a ban on all school girls over the age of 12 from singing or performing at public performances.
A letter from the Kabul Education Department states that male teachers and educators are also not allowed to teach school girls over the age of 12, and that if they fail to abide by this rule they could face legal action.
The ban would apply to all government and private schools, the letter stated.
The decision sparked an outcry among social media users and other critics on Wednesday and women in particular slammed the decision, saying that sensitive decisions especially relating to gender should not be taken by educational institutions.
But the Ministry of Education says the decision was made following an order from the National Assembly and at the suggestion of some families.
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Iran holds ‘good negotiations’ with IEA over water rights

Iran’s foreign minister has said that Tehran had “good negotiations” with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) over the issue of water rights.
“We have the water rights issue on the agenda, and the [Iranian] president has assigned Hassan Kazemi Qomi [Iranian ambassador to Afghanistan] to follow up on the matter, with the view that the issues between the two countries should go in the direct direction and be resolved,” Hossein Amir Abdollahian told Iranian state media.
On the recent border clash, he said that the clash did not have any agenda, and the situation in Afghanistan is understandable for Iran.
Tensions between Iran and IEA escalated after Tehran accused Kabul of restricting the flow of water to Iran.
The tensions began last month after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned the IEA needs to “honor” Iran’s rights over the Helmand River.
IEA officials have stressed that they are committed to the 1973 water treaty between Iran and Afghanistan, but there is a lack of water due to drought.
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EU-Central Asia summit calls for inclusive government in Afghanistan

Leaders of Central Asian countries and the EU chief met in Kyrgyzstan on Friday, where they discussed Afghanistan among other issues.
The meeting in Cholpon Ata was attended by the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, and a delegation from Turkmenistan.
On Afghanistan, the participants discussed common concerns over the deteriorating situation in the country and reaffirmed their commitment to see the country develop into a secure, peaceful, stable, prosperous country, according to a joint communique.
The leaders also recognised the efforts of the international community to assist the people of Afghanistan in a principled manner and in accordance with international law and universally recognized norms and principles, despite difficult circumstances.
Participants also called on the international community to step up humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan and noted the key role of the UN in providing humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan in a principled manner.
They underlined the importance of the establishment of an inclusive and representative government and the importance of promotion of and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Afghans citizens, in particular women, girls and ethnic groups.
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IEA special forces kill key Daesh commander in eastern Afghanistan

The Islamic Emirate’s special forces in an operation on Wednesday killed a top Daesh commander along with his accomplice in eastern Nangarhar province, state-run Bakhtar news agency reported.
This Daesh commander’s name was reportedly “Turab”.
The operation was conducted on Wednesday evening in Wuch Tangi village of Shiwa district in eastern Nangarhar province, according to the provincial officials reported by Bakhtar news agency.
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