The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers on Thursday said the increasing restrictions imposed by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), on the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan were isolating the country.

“With these measures, the Taliban (IEA) are further isolating themselves from the international community,” the G7 foreign ministers and European Union foreign policy chief said.

In a joint statement published by France, they called on the IEA to take urgent action to lift restrictions on women and girls and respect their human rights, Reuters reported.

The IEA, who swept back to power as the Afghan government collapsed last year, on Saturday ordered women to cover their faces in public, in another step towards their past hardline rule.

Meanwhile, Norway’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, Trine Heimerback, issued a statement on Thursday ahead of closed consultations in the Security Council on Afghanistan.

The consultations had been requested by Norway “because we are extremely concerned about the continuous infringement on human rights for girls and women,” Heimerback said adding “this is detrimental to ‘peace and stability’ and a matter that belongs on the Council’s agenda.”

Heimerback also said the “Taliban (IEA) policies continue to focus on oppressing women and girls rather than addressing the economic crisis.”

The IEA says however that it is committed to ensuring the rights of all citizens, especially women, in the country and calls on countries around the world, including the United States, not to interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs.

“Every country has its own rules and principles, and the laws of hijab are one of the internal issues of the country, and foreign countries should not interfere in our internal affairs,” said Inamullah Samangani, IEA’s deputy spokesman.