The Taliban asked the airlines to Afghanistan The airlines themselves have announced that they will not allow women to board planes unless they are accompanied by a male family member.
Two officials from Afghan airlines, Ariana Afghan Airlines and Kam Air, told AFP on Sunday that they had received orders from the Taliban not to issue tickets to women who are not accompanied on their trip by a male family member.
The decision was made following a meeting held in the middle of last week between representatives of the Taliban, the two airlines, and the immigration service at Kabul Airport.
A letter on this matter sent by a senior executive of Ariana Afghan Airlines to the company's staff, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, confirms the new directives, which apply to all flights.
«No woman is allowed to fly, on domestic or international flights, without being accompanied by a man,» the letter states.
In late December, the Islamists, who had seized power in Afghanistan in mid-August, had already banned women from traveling more than 72 kilometers without being accompanied by a male relative.
The new restrictions imposed on Afghan women were announced a few days after the Taliban They decided to exclude girls from secondary education.
Furthermore, yesterday, Sunday, the Ministry of Virtue Promotion and Corruption Prevention ordered men and women to visit Kabul's public parks on different days. Now, men can go to the parks on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and women can go on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday.
Ever since they took power in Afghanistan, the Taliban have continued to impose restrictions on women. Women have been barred from many positions in the public sector, and a strict dress code has also been imposed on them.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council expressed his deep concern over the Taliban’s decision to bar girls from secondary education and called for schools to reopen as soon as possible for girls.
«The members of the Security Council reaffirmed the right of all Afghans, including girls, to education,» he said in a statement.
Following this decision by the Taliban, the U.S. abruptly postponed a series of meetings it was scheduled to hold with them in Doha to discuss important economic issues.
