Taliban officials dissolve Afghanistan's human rights commission; calling it 'unnecessary'

Afghanistan's Taliban government has now dissolved the country's human rights commission along with four other key departments deeming them "unnecessary," as the country is facing a financial crisis.

The country's High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), National Security Council and the commission for overseeing the implementation of the Afghan constitution have been dissolved as well.

The HCNR was last headed by former Afghan President Abdullah Abdullah, and was working to negotiate a peace deal between the US-backed Ghani government and the then-insurgent Taliban.

The Taliban cited a shortage of funds as the reason behind the decision since the country is facing a budget deficit of around US$501 million. The decision to dismantle these bodies was announced on Saturday, the day the Taliban regime revealed its first annual national budget.

"Because these departments were not deemed necessary and were not included in the budget, they have been dissolved," said Innamullah Samangani, the Taliban government's deputy spokesperson, according to The Independent. He added that these organisations could be reactivated if a "need" arises in future.

The Taliban had promised to take a softer approach in governance after taking over the country last year. However, human rights bodies say otherwise. The Taliban have been gradually imposing more and more restrictions on Afghan citizens, especially women. They are slowly adopting the same governance approach that they had taken between 1996 and 2001.

Men are being asked to dress and act according to Islamic rules, while women are being confined to their houses. It is not just human rights that are under attack. The regressive policies will also prove to be disastrous for the country's economy, according to experts.

The country's economy is already in shambles with real GDP per capita declining by around 30 percent between end-2020 and end-2022. And the incomes are only expected to further decline due to the exclusion of women from the workforce, according to a report in Modern Diplomacy.