Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue, Prevention of Vice and Hearing of Complaints, says women’s rights must be defined and upheld in accordance with Islamic Sharia, rejecting what he described as “foreign political agendas and imposed standards.”

Khyber claimed that positive changes had been made in Afghanistan in the areas of women’s rights and human rights over the past five years, describing them as unprecedented in the country’s history.

He said women’s rights under Islamic law include property ownership, inheritance, dowry, financial maintenance, protection against forced marriage, the right to choose a spouse, and the right to engage in business and economic activities.

Khyber stressed that women’s rights should not be used as a tool for political disputes or reduced to propaganda campaigns. He called on individuals and organizations that identify themselves as defenders of women’s rights to demonstrate their commitment through practical action.

He also said the rights of women and other Afghan citizens should not be subject to political bargaining, urging those concerned with human rights to adopt what he described as a practical and fair approach.

Khyber dismissed criticism and reports about the ministry’s performance regarding citizens’ rights as propaganda driven by political and intelligence objectives.

The remarks come a day after the United Kingdom, the United States and senior United Nations officials at a UN Security Council meeting called for Afghan women and girls to have a greater role in shaping their country’s future, criticizing restrictions on their rights and exclusion from public life.

Afghanistan has shared Ministry of Industry and Commerce’s key priorities with donor institutions and international organizations, focusing on investment, support for domestic businesses, export expansion and job creation.

The priorities were presented at the seventh meeting on aligning the priorities of Afghanistan’s sectoral institutions with development partners, held on Wednesday in in Kabul.

According to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, the ministry’s priorities include creating investment opportunities across the country, establishing business centers, supporting small and medium-sized enterprises, improving the marketing of domestic products, and expanding the processing and packaging of locally manufactured goods.

The agenda also includes expanding exports and strengthening productive industries, with the broader aim of promoting economic growth, supporting the private sector and creating employment opportunities.

The meeting was intended to help coordinate future assistance and development cooperation with the ministry’s identified priorities.

Representatives of donor institutions and international organizations welcomed the initiative and thanked the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce for sharing the priorities. They said they would align their future assistance and cooperation with the areas identified.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has told Russian President Vladimir Putin that countries in the Middle East can resolve regional problems without relying on the United States, as Tehran and Moscow pledged to deepen cooperation amid heightened regional tensions.

Pezeshkian made the remarks during a meeting with Putin in Moscow on Tuesday, October 27, on the sidelines of the eighth summit of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF).

“I believe we are capable of resolving our problems in the region without relying on the United States,” Pezeshkian told Putin, arguing that regional countries have the capacity to address their own challenges through cooperation.

The Iranian president said growing trade between Tehran and Moscow reflected strengthening ties between the two countries. He added that US actions were encouraging closer cooperation among Russia, Iran and other countries facing unilateral American sanctions.

Pezeshkian also called for expanded bilateral cooperation across scientific, economic, industrial, cultural, security and military fields, thanking Moscow for its political, economic and security support for Iran.

Putin, meanwhile, said trade between Russia and Iran had continued to grow and confirmed that construction work at Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant was progressing.

The Russian president also acknowledged the seriousness of the regional situation, saying he and Pezeshkian had discussed developments during a private conversation and expressing hope that events would move in a positive direction.

The meeting comes as Moscow seeks to support diplomatic efforts to prevent a renewed escalation in the Middle East. Negotiations between Washington and Tehran have remained stalled following the outbreak of war on February 28, when US-Israeli strikes targeted Iran.

Both Washington and Israel have threatened to resume strikes against Iran, adding to uncertainty over the prospects for a diplomatic settlement.

The talks in Moscow underscore the growing importance Tehran places on its partnership with Russia as it seeks to strengthen economic and political ties with countries outside the Western sphere.