Afghan Currency Tumbles Amid Growing Calls for U.S. Financial Aid Cessation

She stated that the Taliban hides their actions against women and girls under cultural and religious justifications.

On the second day of the International Girls' Education Summit in Islamabad, Yousafzai addressed the restrictions imposed by the Taliban on girls and women, especially the ban on education and learning.

Referring to the decrees issued against women in Afghanistan, she called on the leaders of Islamic countries not to recognize the Taliban government. The Nobel Peace Prize winner expressed concern that in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, an entire generation of girls is being lost.

She also said that scholars and Muslim leaders must prevent the systematic exclusion of Afghan women and girls. She further stated that the Taliban's mission was clear—they aimed to remove women and girls from every aspect of public life and erase them from society. She also noted that the Taliban had created a gender apartheid system.

Yousafzai called on the leaders of Islamic countries to support the treaty on crimes against humanity and, by condemning the oppressive laws of the Taliban, to emphasize the values of Islam. She said that the way forward for Afghanistan is a political solution, not military force.

She emphasized that this path lay in the power of international law, human rights, and justice. The Girls' Education Summit in Islamabad began on Saturday. Ministers and ambassadors from 44 countries, as well as representatives from the United Nations and the World Bank, are also attending the event.

Photos shared by the Taliban Media Center on the social media platform X show Mullah Yousuf Wafa, the governor of Balkh and a trusted associate of Mullah Hibatullah, the group’s leader, presiding over the meeting, with northern governors and police chiefs reporting to him.

Wafa is reportedly close to the Taliban's leader and is seeking to expand Kandahar's influence in the north. It appears that he does not answer to Sirajuddin Haqqani, the group’s Interior Minister.

Some observers view this development as a consolidation of power by Kandahari representatives and weakening of the Haqqani faction within the Taliban's structure.

Prior to Wafa, Dawood Muzammil served as the Taliban governor of Balkh but was killed in an attack by ISIS. Prior to Muzammil, Qudratullah Hamza, a figure close to the Haqqani faction, held the position.

Reports of internal disputes and factional tensions within the Taliban have surfaced before.

Previously, on November, Mullah Hibatullah unexpectedly issued a decree stripping the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defense, and Intelligence Directorate of the authority to distribute weapons, ammunition, and military equipment.

The decree stated that only the group’s leader would have the authority to make decisions regarding the distribution of military equipment.

According to a statement shared on the social media platform X, the ministry stated that 13 individuals were arrested in the provinces of Daikundi, Kabul, Takhar, and Sar-e Pul on suspicion of "moral corruption." These individuals were handed over to the Taliban's judicial authorities for further investigation and the implementation of "divine rulings."

The ministry also reported the detention of nine people in the provinces of Ghazni, Bamiyan, Daikundi, and Sar-e Pul on charges of "witchcraft." The Taliban alleges that these individuals were promoting practices deemed contrary to "Islamic Sharia" and causing discord within families. However, it remains unclear what specific actions the Taliban considers as "witchcraft."

Earlier, the ministry announced the arrest of nine individuals in Kabul on suspicion of "moral corruption" and "gambling." These individuals were reportedly released after providing guarantees.

The Taliban's morality police conduct mobile patrols across Afghanistan, monitoring the behavior and actions of citizens. The Taliban's Promotion of Virtue law grants the group's morality police extensive powers, enabling them to enforce the group's strict interpretation of Islamic law.

According to the ministry’s statement, Sergei Lukashevich met with Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, to discuss “political and economic” cooperation.

Stanikzai described the Belarusian official’s visit to Kabul as a significant development in relations between Belarus and Afghanistan, signalling the start of long-term collaboration.

According to the Taliban’s statement, Lukashevich expressed Belarus’s interest in fostering cooperation with Afghanistan across various sectors.

Hafiz Zia Ahmad, the Taliban’s Deputy Spokesperson, shared the statement on the social platform X, noting that both Stanikzai and Lukashevich agreed that technical teams from both sides would conduct further discussions in Kabul and Minsk.

Writing on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), she stated, “Terrorists must not receive even a penny from American taxpayers’ money.”

Ms Luna emphasised, “We are sending $40 million a week to the Taliban—the very group that threatens our sovereignty and security.”

The congresswoman voiced her support for fellow Representative Tim Burchett’s proposal to halt financial assistance to the Taliban. She further added that Burchett’s proposed bill aims to put an end to such financial transfers.

Last week, Burchett announced that he had submitted a bill to the House of Representatives seeking to prohibit taxpayer money from being directed to the Taliban. Referring to this legislative proposal, Luna remarked that the bill would terminate the transfer of funds to the militant group.

Luna represents the state of Florida in the U.S. Congress.

The issue of financial assistance to Afghanistan under Taliban rule has become a focal point of debate among Republican lawmakers. Recently, Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and influential advisor to President-elect Donald Trump, also commented on the controversy.

Donald Trump, the U.S. President-elect, stated during a press conference on Tuesday that the U.S. government is “sending billions of dollars to the Taliban.” He condemned the financial aid as “unacceptable” and insisted that such assistance “should not be happening.”

Critics of the Taliban have welcomed the remarks made by the incoming administration, arguing that the Taliban is using American taxpayers’ money to fuel terrorism within Afghanistan.

However, Taliban officials have denied receiving any financial assistance from the United States.