In keeping with the United Nations resolution passed on November 14, the State Bank of Pakistan has ordered banks to freeze all assets belong to Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban army. The UN imposed economic sanctions on the Taliban in an attempt to force the Taliban to hand over suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, accused of masterminding bombings of two U.S. Embassies in East Africa.
Banks in Pakistan were ordered to “take the necessary action to freeze the funds of the nature mentioned in the (U.N.) resolution (and) submit a statement of the frozen funds” by December 20, 1999.
Pakistan is one of only three countries (the others include Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) that has recognized the Taliban. Pakistan has been a chief source of support for the Taliban.
The Taliban has instituted a system of gender apartheid in Afghanistan that denies most women basic human rights such as education, medical care, and the ability to leave their homes without a close male relative. The Feminist Majority Foundation has led a campaign of national and international women’s and human rights groups to Stop Gender Apartheid in Afghanistan and to help ensure that both the United States and the UN do not recognize the Taliban as a legitimate government in Afghanistan.
