Kabul: In the wake of the deteriorating situation of women and minorities in the country, the Taliban on Thursday called for the implementation of Sharia law in Afghanistan, stressing the need for preserving Islamic values.

The Islamic Emirate leader Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada held a gathering with the provincial governors in Kandahar where he emphasized the need to solve every problem through Sharia and not laws made by people, reported Khaama Press.

"Over the past 20 years, there have been a lot of anti-Shari and Islam rhetoric and laws which are made by the people is not implementable," Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid quoted in the statement.

The statement by the leader stressed that all rights concerning women and minorities in the country must be based upon Sharia, and the implementation of the latest decree by the supreme leader has at least six articles, reported Khaama Press.

Since the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan in August last year, they have constantly escalated their atrocities against Afghan women by depriving young girls and women of humanitarian rights. Girls above 6th grade have been barred from gaining access to schools under the Taliban regime.

Meanwhile, the Taliban issued a diktat against female employees and told them to send male relatives as their replacements.

Afghan women have been protesting against the Taliban for the violations of their rights and the removal of women from government institutions since they took over. In response, the Taliban targeted protesters with harassment and abuse, arbitrary arrest and detention, enforced disappearance and physical and psychological torture.

Taliban also has a history of targeting the Hazaras, an ethnic minority group that practices Shia Islam. The group has been responsible for the deaths of over dozens of Hazaras over the past months.

Notably, an international conference was held in Uzbekistan on July 25th and 26th, which was attended by delegates from nearly 20 world countries including India.

A delegation of the Taliban, led by acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amir Khan Muttaqi, attended the conference, which was held nearly one year after the fall of the democratic government in Afghanistan. The aim of the conference was to discuss the security situation as well as the humanitarian situation in the country.

Even though more and more countries are extending their outreach to the Taliban, the latter is not upholding its promises.

Earlier, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan released a report that highlighted the eroding human rights situation in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover.

The report detailed the UN findings with regards to the protection of civilians, extra judicial killings, torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary arrests, the rights of women and girls, fundamental freedoms, and situations in places of detention.