Qatar, EU call rights abuses ‘disappointing’

Qatar and the EU's top diplomats yesterday labelled a recent string of human rights abuses in Afghanistan "disappointing", with Doha encouraging the Taliban to look to Qatar for how to run an Islamic system.

The Taliban publicly strung up four alleged kidnappers from cranes in Herat last week and older girls are still unable to resume their studies weeks into the new academic year.

"The recent actions that we have seen unfortunately in Afghanistan, it has been very disappointing to see some steps being taken backward," Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said at a media briefing in Doha.

Qatar has become a key broker in Afghanistan following last month's withdrawal of US forces, helping to evacuate thousands of foreigners and Afghans, engaging the new Taliban rulers and supporting operations at Kabul airport.