ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Munir Akram warned the world community against "spoilers" in Afghanistan who did not want the conflict-ridden state to make progress toward peace, the Associated Press of Pakistan reported on Friday.
Akram welcomed fresh impetus in the intra-Afghan dialogue that has brought representatives of the Afghan government and Taliban insurgents to the negotiating table in Doha to iron out their differences and reach a viable political settlement.
"Spoilers, from within or without, must not be allowed to subvert the success of these negotiations and prevent a comprehensive political settlement in Afghanistan," he said during a debate on the situation in Afghanistan, adding: "The machinations of such spoilers must be defeated."
The Pakistani envoy also expressed concern over continuing violence in Afghanistan, saying that his country agreed with the international community that transnational militant groups, such as Daesh and al-Qaeda, must not be allowed to operate from the Afghan soil.
"Terrorism has had a devastating impact on Afghanistan and its neighboring countries," he said. "A peaceful and stable Afghanistan is indispensable for peace and stability in the region and beyond."
He maintained that the intra-Afghan dialogue had given a new and historic opportunity to all political stakeholders in Afghanistan to move toward an inclusive and comprehensive settlement.
"Pakistan has walked with the international community and our Afghan brothers and sisters on the path to peace, encouraging reduction in violence and urging dialogue and negotiations," he said. "It is the Afghans who must be the masters of their destiny, and decide their own future, without outside influence or interference. Pakistan will continue to support the Intra-Afghan negotiations and looks forward to an inclusive, broad-based and comprehensive political solution paving the way for a peaceful, stable and prosperous Afghanistan."
Akram also added that while the world was closing borders due to the coronavirus pandemic, Pakistan had opened five border crossing points with Afghanistan and softened its visa policy to help visitors from that country.
Pakistan tells world community 'spoilers' want to impede political progress in Afghanistan
https://arab.news/wrhfj
Pakistan tells world community 'spoilers' want to impede political progress in Afghanistan
- The country's envoy to the United Nations applauds fresh impetus in intra-Afghan dialogue in Doha
- Says the negotiations offer a 'historic' opportunity to Afghans who can now be 'masters of their destiny'
Pakistan’s Mahnoor Omer named among TIME’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026
- Omer moved a Pakistani court against the so-called ‘period tax’ in Sept. 2025 which has since sparked a national debate
- Taxes on sanitary pads in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to retail price, UNICEF says only around 12 percent women use such products
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani women’s rights activist Mahnoor Omer, who fought against taxes on menstrual products, has been named among the TIME magazine’s ‘Women of the Year’ for 2026.
Omer’s efforts have been recognized alongside 16 activists, artists, athletes and businesswomen in the TIME’s Women of the Year 2026 list, including Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Chloe Zhao.
Dissatisfied with the efforts to educate Pakistani girls about sexual violence, Omer founded the Noor Foundation at the age of 14 and held her own workshops with village girls about everything from climate change to menstruation, according to the TIME magazine.
Two years later, a conversation with a domestic worker about the price of pads made her realize that not everyone could afford these essentials. She moved a court against the so-called “period tax” in Sept. 2025 and the case has sparked a national debate on the subject, considered a taboo by many in Pakistan, since its first hearing late last year.
“A decade and one law degree after her interest in activism was sparked, Omer, now 25, is putting her passion and expertise to work in the name of gender equity,” TIME wrote about Omer on its website.
Taxes imposed on sanitary products in Pakistan can add up to 40 percent to the retail price. UNICEF estimates just 12 percent of women in the country use commercially produced pads or tampons. The alternative, using cloth, risks health impacts including rashes and infections, and can make it impossible for girls to attend school while menstruating.
Omer’s suit, which awaits the government response, has sparked a national discussion. She says she spoke about menstruation to her father and male cousins, who thanked her for standing up for their daughters.
The 25-year-old, who is currently enrolled in a master’s degree in gender, peace, and security at the London School of Economics, sees this case as just the first of many.
“I’m not free until every woman is free,” she was quoted as saying by TIME. “I want to leave no stones unturned in terms of what I can do with the next few decades, as a lawyer for the women in my country and gender minorities in general.”
