The Taliban announced on Thursday that it was close to forming a new government, while dozens of women staged unprecedented demonstrations demanding the right to work under the new system, which faced major economic sanctions and public distrust.

Two more new Taliban sources told the AFP that it could take place after Friday prayers, just days after the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan, which ended the US longest-running war.

Currently, the focus is on whether the Taliban can form a government capable of managing the war-torn economy and respect its commitment to form an “inclusive” government.

Although a senior official on Wednesday said women were unlikely to be included, there was a lot of speculation about the new government’s makeup.

Senior official Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanexoy told the BBC’s Pashto radio station that women could continue to work but “may have no place” in future government or other senior positions.

In the western city of Herat, about 50 women took to the streets in a rare demonstration demanding the right to work and protesting the lack of women in government institutions.

An AFP journalist who witnessed the protest chanted, “Education, employment and security are our right.” They also chanted “We are not afraid, we are united”.

Basira Taheri, one of the militant groups, told the AFP that the Taliban should include women in the new government. “We want the Taliban to consult with us,” he added. “We don’t see women in their meetings and gatherings.”

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