■ A Qatar Airways flight reportedly took more Americans out of Afghanistan.
Afghan pullout marks airlift by Qatar Airways
KABUL, Afghanistan — A Qatar Airways flight on Friday took more Americans out of Afghanistan, according to Washington’s peace envoy, the third such airlift by the Mideast carrier since the Taliban takeover and the frantic U.S. troop pullout from the country.
The development came amid rising concerns over the future of Afghanistan under the Taliban. The country’s new Islamic rulers on Friday ordered that boys but not girls from grades six to 12, and male teachers but no women teachers return to school and resume classes, starting Saturday.
The statement, posted on the Facebook page of the now Taliban-run education ministry, underscored fears that the Taliban might again impose restrictions on girls and women.
Since taking power, the Taliban had allowed girls in grades one to six to resume classes. When they ruled Afghanistan previously in the late 1990s, the Taliban banned girls and women from attending school and work.
U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad tweeted he was “grateful that more
Americans were able to leave on a Qatar Airways flight.” There was no immediate information how many Americans were on the flight.
An Afghan official said more than 150 passengers were on the flight, though it was not immediately clear how many were Americans. In the past one week, more than 300 foreign nationals as well as U.S. green card holders and Afghans with special visas have left Afghanistan. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.
He said more flights were expected
on Saturday, including another Qatar Airways flight. It’s unclear how many American nationals are still in Afghanistan, but Khalilzad tweeted “we remain committed to get them out if they want to come home.”
Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council unanimously approved a resolution Friday saying that Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers need to establish an inclusive government that has “the full, equal and meaningful participation of women” and upholds human rights.