External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed pleasure at welcoming Special Representative Roza Otunbayeva, head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), to New Delhi on Thursday.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said that he and Otunbayeva discussed the present situation in Afghanistan and exchanged viewpoints.

The External Affairs Minister also highlighted that India has provided essential aid to Afghanistan, including wheat, medicines, pesticides, and school supplies.

In January, India supplied 40,000 liters of Malathion, a pesticide used to combat locust infestations, through the Chabahar port to support ongoing efforts in Afghanistan.

Last month, Roza Otenbayeva drew attention to the plight of women in Afghanistan.

Notably, several countries have denounced the curtailment of rights of Afghan women by the Taiban.

Despite the Taliban’s initial promise to take a moderate approach towards women’s rights after it seized power in August 2021, the ban on higher education is just one of many steps that the armed group has taken to further segregate the country and limit women’s role in society.

In the immediate aftermath of August 2021, the Taliban banned girls from going to school beyond the sixth grade and imposed strict rules requiring women to wear hijabs and to travel only with a male chaperone.

(With ANI inputs)