The Taliban, which has been in power in Afghanistan since August 2021, canceled the girls’ planned return to high school on Wednesday. He said high schools would remain closed to girls until a lesson plan was complied with in accordance with Islamic law.
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Six Western countries, including the United States, as well as the EU, have called on the Taliban to reverse the move immediately.
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“Their decision was a deep disappointment and an inexplicable turnaround in commitments to the Afghan people, first and foremost to the international community,” a State Department spokesman told Reuters.
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“We have canceled some of our commitments, including the planned meetings in Doha, and we have made it clear that we see this decision as a potential turning point in our engagement,” he added.
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The talks between US and Taliban officials were scheduled to take place over the weekend in Doha, according to three Reuters sources. Representatives of the UN and the World Bank were also scheduled to attend some of the talks.
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A spokesman for the Afghan Foreign Ministry confirmed that the Taliban delegation was going to Doha and that the incumbent foreign minister was to be present.
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The talks were to focus on economic issues, including the Afghan central bank and humanitarian money.
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Under the previous Taliban government from 1996 to 2001, girls and women were banned from attending schools and practicing most professions.
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Since the Taliban returned to power in August last year, first- to sixth-graders and college students have been able to return to school if they ensure that women are separated from men in their teaching.
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The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in mid-August after a lightning offensive as the last US and allied troops left the country for 20 years.
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Foreign governments have since sought to figure out a way to approach the Taliban in order to prevent the Afghan economy and security from collapsing, while avoiding formal recognition of the new government.
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The United States, with the support of some other Western governments, has blocked Afghan central bank assets held abroad and maintained sanctions on Taliban members, paralyzing the Afghan banking sector and accelerating the country’s economic collapse.
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The country is also facing a major food crisis, with about 95 percent of the population lacking enough food, according to the United Nations.
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