Islamabad must establish transparent policy for supporting Afghan women: Peace Center
Written By: Hakim Bigzaad
The Pakistani newspaper Dawn has reported that the country’s Center for Peace Studies organized a session titled “Peace and Stability in Afghanistan.” It added that Islamabad while maintaining engagement with the interim government in Kabul, should have a clear policy regarding support for Afghan women.
The newspaper stated on Saturday, January 20th, that participants in this session emphasized that Pakistan should formulate a policy in which women and vulnerable individuals benefit from support such as scholarships and online education.
According to the report, Seema Ilahi Baloch, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Afghanistan, stated that the ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan is the “worst” blow resulting from the ideology of the Taliban. She added that Pakistan should be cautious in its relations with Afghanistan but must have a human rights perspective when it comes to women.
The former Pakistani ambassador continued to emphasize that the expulsion of Afghan migrants from Pakistan was not in Islamabad’s interest, and a clear policy should be adopted regarding refugees.
This issue arises as Pakistan has pursued a policy of deporting illegal Afghan immigrants in the early winter season, and this process continues, affecting some vulnerable individuals.
Elsa Imdad Hussain, Senior Coordinator of Pakistan’s Center for Research and Security Studies, stated that the Taliban may have performed well in certain economic and foreign relations aspects but have adopted the wrong approach towards women. She added, “This is an opportunity for Pakistan to provide asylum laws that should be both human-centered and gender-centered.”
It is worth mentioning that after the fall of the previous government to the Taliban administration, thousands of vulnerable Afghan citizens sought refuge in Pakistan and are awaiting transfer to a third country.
Earlier, Imran Khan, Pakistan’s former Prime Minister, had stated that the ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan had its roots in “Afghan culture.”
It has been over two years since girls and women in Afghanistan have been deprived of their basic rights, such as education and work. United Nations experts have termed the interim government’s treatment of women as “sexual harassment” of a severe nature.
However, recently, the issue of “gender apartheid” in Afghanistan has gained international recognition, even though gender apartheid has not yet been criminalized in international laws. Nevertheless, the leader of the Taliban claimed a few days ago that women’s rights in Afghanistan are fully guaranteed.
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