A planned women's freedom march through the streets of Kabul today was banned on the orders of Northern Alliance interior minister Mr Younis Qanooni, organiser Ms Soraya Parlika said.
"They said it was for security but that is just a pretext . . . they don't want women to improve," she said.
Ms Parlika said Mr Qanooni personally rang her two days ago, before leaving for the Afghan talks outside Bonn, Germany and said the march was not to go ahead. "He said we should wait for an unspecified time".
As women began gathering at her home early today, hopeful the decision would be reversed, Ms Parlika received a call from an interior ministry official again refusing the march.
It was the second time in a week the women had been refused permission to walk from Ms Parlika's suburban home to the main United Nations compound, with security given as the reason both times.
"I don't believe that. There would not be a problem, we have no need for security," Ms Parlika said.
About 50 members of the newly formed Union of Women met at her apartment. Many wore light head scarves instead of the hated burqa, the all-encompassing garment that women were forced to wear after the Taliban captured Kabul in 1996.
Although the Northern Alliance has told women they were free, the statement was received with scepticism.
AFP