Afghanistan’s Taliban government has denied banning the sale of contraceptives, dismissing reports of the ban in the British press as “fake news”.
Pharmacies in the country’s capital, Kabul, were freely selling the family planning products when The National visited.
An article published in The Guardian on Saturday morning alleged that the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate has begun to enforce a “blanket ban” on contraceptives in Kabul, as well as the northern city of Mazar-e Sharif.
It follows a report with similar allegations in The Daily Mail, which cited the Afghan outlet Rukhshana Media.
In response to an inquiry from The National, Dr Sharafat Zaman Amar, spokesman for the Taliban-run Ministry of Public Health, called reports of a crackdown “fake”.
“No one has stopped contraceptives,” he said.
The enforcement of such laws is normally the domain of the Taliban's Ministry for Prohibiting Vice and the Promotion of Virtue. That ministry’s spokesman, Akif Muhajir, told The National he “did not accept” the reports, also referring to them as “fake news”.
Asked specifically whether contraceptives are allowed in Afghanistan, Mr Muhajir replied: “Yes.”
The reports of the contraceptive ban come amid wide-ranging restrictions imposed on women by the Taliban since they returned to power in August 2021.
The British outlets quoted pharmacists and a midwife who had allegedly been told by authorities that contraceptives are a “western conspiracy”.
Oral contraceptives and other family planning methods have been in wide circulation in Afghanistan since the economy reopened to the world after the fall of the previous Taliban regime in 2001. They have been hailed by doctors as a critical tool for the fight against poverty, as well as the protection of women’s health and reproductive rights.
“Currently in Afghanistan, we have a serious problem with maternal mortality, and family planning is one of those ways to help preserve the life of both the mother and the unborn child,” said Dr Najmussama Shefajo, a gynaecologist who manages a maternity clinic in Kabul.
The National visited three pharmacies in Kabul on Saturday. All of them denied being visited by members of the Taliban or being told to stop carrying any specific medications.
One branch of a chain pharmacy based in the city’s Taimani neighbourhood said they had been carrying on with business as usual.
Sometimes the directorate in charge of pharmaceuticals will send us lists of medicines that should not be sold, but we haven’t received anything like that lately
Pharmacist in Kabul
“Sometimes the directorate in charge of pharmaceuticals will send us lists of medicines that should not be sold, but we haven’t received anything like that lately.”
The pharmacist said they had not been visited by any Taliban members inquiring about the drugs they carry. Another pharmacist, who runs a small family-owned outlet in the Shahr-e Now neighbourhood, also refuted any claims of being told what to carry.
“I am not aware of any such restrictions,” the second pharmacist said while helping a young female customer.
Doctors at Dr Shefajo’s maternity clinic, in the Wazir Akbar Khan neighbourhood, and another one in the Kartei Seh neighbourhood, also said they had not been contacted by Islamic Emirate authorities about contraception.
“We haven’t receive any instructions [of a ban] up to now,” said a manager at the Wazir Akbar Khan clinic.
A co-owner of the other clinic also said they were not aware of any such searches or confiscations.
The National contacted Doctors Without Borders (MSF), an international NGO that is one of Afghanistan’s longest-standing providers of family planning services, particularly in the provinces of Helmand and Khost — areas considered to be part of the Taliban’s cultural heartland.
In a statement, Noor Ahmad Salim, MSF’s spokesman in Afghanistan, said: “MSF has not been informed by the Afghan authorities about any measure prohibiting the use of contraceptives within the country. All of our activities related to family planning, which we consider to be a vital part of every women’s sexual as well as reproductive health, run unhindered in Afghanistan.”
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Install an air filter in your home.
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About Karol Nawrocki
• Supports military aid for Ukraine, unlike other eurosceptic leaders, but he will oppose its membership in western alliances.
• A nationalist, his campaign slogan was Poland First. "Let's help others, but let's take care of our own citizens first," he said on social media in April.
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• Met Donald Trump at the White House and received his backing.
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
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Youth YouTuber Programme
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In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
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• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
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• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
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Company%20profile
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Barings Bank
Barings, one of Britain’s oldest investment banks, was
founded in 1762 and operated for 233 years before it went bust after a trading
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Leeson gambled more than $1 billion in speculative trades,
wiping out the venerable merchant bank’s cash reserves.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Analysis
Maros Sefcovic is juggling multiple international trade agreement files, but his message was clear when he spoke to The National on Wednesday.
The EU-UAE bilateral trade deal will be finalised soon, he said. It is in everyone’s interests to do so. Both sides want to move quickly and are in alignment. He said the UAE is a very important partner for the EU. It’s full speed ahead - and with some lofty ambitions - on the road to a free trade agreement.
We also talked about US-EU tariffs. He answered that both sides need to talk more and more often, but he is prepared to defend Europe's position and said diplomacy should be a guiding principle through the current moment.
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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Background: Chemical Weapons
Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
Racecard
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah Group Two (PA) US$55,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.05pm: Meydan Trophy (TB) $100,000 (Turf) 1,900m
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The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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Kabir Singh
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
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Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
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Results
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Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
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Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
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Dust storm
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
