US imposes visa sanctions on Taliban

The United States (US) Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday announced imposing visa sanctions on Taliban, due to their anti-women practices in Afghanistan.

In recent times, Afghanistan’s women have seen bans on entering educational institutes and working with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO).

So far, the Taliban’s actions have forced over one million school-aged Afghan girls and young women out of the classroom, with more women out of universities and countless Afghan women out of the workforce.

Antony Blinken shared in a statement, about imposing additional visa restrictions on current or former members of the Taliban, members of non-state security groups and others.

The immediate family members of such persons may also be subjected to these visa restrictions, enacted under Section 212(a)(3)(C) (“3C”) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

He added that restrictions will ensure that Taliban pay heavy price for their unethical actions against women.

It must be noted that Afghan Taliban’s supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada had made it mandatory for women to cover themselves with burqa.

UN warned that Taliban’s ban on female aid workers could be a “huge blow” to vital humanitarian aid projects.