We must not forget the people of Afghanistan

Editorial: It is a situation that the international community cannot ignore, even if Taliban rule has left the country isolated on the world stage

Just this weekend a protest of women was dispersed in Kabul (Getty)

It is a year since the Taliban retook Kabul and, along with it, overall control of Afghanistan – with the country only seeming to move backwards during that period, as a strict interpretation of Islamic law has been imposed.

Despite repeated claims made by the Taliban after it seized the nation’s capital, any sense that we might see a more moderate rule compared with when the group last ruled the country two decades ago has been firmly put to bed.

Girls across Afghanistan have had their hopes of education dashed, having been barred from attending school above primary level. A reprieve in March was cruelly snatched away when Taliban leaders overruled education officials just hours after schools reopened for the start of a new academic year. The ban is supposed to be temporary, but no date has been set for it to end.