Taliban reject prohibiting contraceptives
Date
2/22/2023 2:46:11 AM
(MENAFN) Afghanistan’s Taliban government has refuted reports claiming that it has banned the sale of contraceptives in the country. The Taliban dismissed these allegations, calling them “fake news.” Pharmacies in the capital, Kabul, were found to be openly selling family planning products when The National visited.
However, The Guardian recently published an article that claimed the Taliban had started to enforce a “blanket ban” on contraceptives in both Kabul and Mazar-e Sharif, a northern city in Afghanistan. The Daily Mail also reported similar allegations, citing Afghan outlet Rukhshana Media.
Dr Sharafat Zaman Amar, spokesman for the Taliban-run Ministry of Public Health, denied the reports of the crackdown in a statement to The National.
The spokesman emphasized that no one had stopped the sale of contraceptives in the country. The enforcement of such laws is usually under the purview of the Taliban's Ministry for Prohibiting Vice and the Promotion of Virtue. Its spokesman, Akif Muhajir, told The National that he did not accept these reports, labeling them as “fake news.”
The allegations regarding a ban on contraceptives in Afghanistan have sparked concerns and backlash from various organizations and individuals worldwide, especially regarding women’s rights and access to healthcare. Contraceptives are a vital aspect of family planning, and restrictions on their sale could lead to significant health consequences for women and families.
Despite the Taliban’s denial of the ban, the situation in the country remains uncertain, given the country's recent takeover by the Taliban and their previous track record of oppressive actions against women’s rights.
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