Afghanistan: Taliban laugh when asked if 'Afghans can vote women politicians', watch

As the Taliban takes control over Afghanistan, the safety of women in the war-torn nation has been a matter of international concern. The last time Taliban was in control of the country in 1996-2001, a severe clampdown on the freedom and security of women was witnessed in Afghanistan. The extremist group had enforced stringent rules for women based on their interpretation of Islamic law, stopping women from leaving the house without the company of a male relative. The group had also banned girls from attending school and women from working outside the home. They were also banned from voting.

Will Taliban accept women politicians?

A similar sight was witnessed on August 15 as the Taliban began white-washing posters of women on the streets. Amid the fear over women's rights under Taliban, a woman journalist held an explosive interview where the mindset of the Taliban was exposed. 

The interview begins with the journalist asking if the Taliban would uphold women's rights in Afghanistan. To this, the militants reply that women's rights will be enforced as per the Islamic Sharia Law. The woman journalist then questions whether women politicians would be able to stand for elections, and if the civilians can vote women leaders to power. After hearing the question, the Taliban burst into laughter. One of them then asks the cameraman to stop rolling saying that the question made him laugh.

Earlier this week, one of Afghanistan's first female mayors Zarifa Ghafari had issued a piercing statement saying that she was waiting for the Taliban to come and kill her after the group overran Kabul. While talking to the British outlet iNews, she said, “I'm sitting here waiting for them to come. There is no one to help me or my family. I'm just sitting with them and my husband. And they will come for people like me and kill me. I can't leave my family. And anyway, where would I go?"

The Ashraf Ghani-led government formally handed over the country to the Taliban on August 15. After the President fled the war-torn nation, chaos broke out in different parts of the country with citizens hoping to leave Afghanistan and escape the Taliban regime.