The United Nations Security Council has imposed sanctions on 22 senior Taliban leaders, including travel bans, asset freezes and an arms embargo, according to an updated list issued by the UN.
The council amended the sanctions list on March 10, targeting key officials of the Taliban administration that governs Afghanistan.
According to the United Nations, those named include Hassan Akhund, the Taliban’s prime minister; Abdul Ghani Baradar; and Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.
Other officials listed are Abdul Salam Hanafi, Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Refugees Minister Abdul Kabir, Agriculture Minister Abdul Latif Mansoor, Transport Minister Mohammad Fazel Mazloom, Economy Minister Din Mohammad Hanif and intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq.
Also included are former Higher Education Minister Abdul Baqi Haqqani, Public Works Minister Mohammad Isa Akhund, Urban Development Minister Najibullah Haqqani, Hajj and Religious Affairs Minister Noor Mohammad Thaqib and disaster management chief Nouruddin Tarabi.
Taliban response
Responding to the move, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told Afghan broadcaster TOLO News that the sanctions were ineffective and infringed on individual rights.
He said the restrictions not only targeted specific officials but also harmed the wider Afghan population and urged the United Nations to lift the measures.
Comments
See what people are discussing