Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the deputy minister of Foreign Affairs, called for women’s rights to be provided and said it is the responsibility of the government to provide safe education for girls in the country.  

Speaking at a gathering held to mark the anniversary of the death of Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, a former Islamic Emirate leader, Stanikzai said that women make up half of the Afghan population and that they should be provided with their rights based on Afghan culture and Islamic values.  

“Women can’t even ask for their inheritance. They are deprived of the right to education. Where will women learn Shariah lessons? Women make up half of Afghanistan’s population,” he said.  

He was also critical of the small budget for development in economic sectors and said the people are forced to leave the country due to economic challenges.  

The deputy foreign minister called for further political and diplomatic efforts.  

“We don’t have a chair in the OIC, we don’t have a chair in the UN and we don’t have a political office in Europe,” he said.  

Speaking at the same gathering, the acting Minister of Defense, Mullah Mohammad Yaqub, criticized the economic sanctions on Afghanistan.  

“They imposed economic sanctions on Afghanistan and made a plot against us in Afghanistan,” he said.  

The second Deputy Prime Minister, Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi, recounted Mullah Mansour's achievements and said he fostered discipline and unity within the forces of the Islamic Emirate.