Hundreds of women refugees from Afghanistan have held a protest demonstration in the Pakistani city of Quetta to condemn the denial of rights to women by the Taleban authorities in their country of origin. There have been many demonstrations in the past years by Afghan women in other parts of Pakistan, but this is the first such protest in Quetta city which has a very large concentration of pro-Taleban refugees. From Islamabad, Zaffar Abbas reports:

Since the start of the conflict in Afghanistan some 19 years ago, Pakistan has remained a safe haven for all kinds of Afghan factions, women's groups being no exception.

In recent months, however, the Pakistani authorities have been discouraging demonstrations against the Taleban, whose administration is recognised by Islamabad.

But ignoring such restrictions, about 200 Afghan women gathered in an open ground in Quetta city to denounce the Taleban adminstration.

Showing no fear of any retaliation from the pro-Taleban refugees who live in the nearby camps, some of the women made fiery speeches to condemn the Kabul authorities.

They said several of them were schoolteachers, but now they cannot think of returning to their country as the Taleban have disallowed women from doing any jobs.

The speakers also accused the Taleban of blockading food supplies to Bamiyan and other areas in Hazarajat and said people over there have been forced to eat grass.