Ottawa [Canada], May 13 (ANI): The G7 Foreign Ministers on Thursday (local time) deplored the Taliban's recent decree enforcing hijab on Afghan women and new punishments for family members to enforce compliance with these restrictions.

"We condemn the imposition of increasingly restrictive measures that severely limit half the population's ability to fully, equally, and meaningfully participate in society, including the recent announcement on women's appearance in public along with new punishments for family members to enforce compliance with these restrictions," read the G7 Foreign Ministers' Statement on the situation of women and girls in Afghanistan.

"We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union express our strongest opposition and deplore the increasing restrictions imposed on the rights and freedoms of women and girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban," it read.

G7 countries slammed the Taliban for the imposition of increasingly restrictive measures that severely limit half the population's ability to fully, equally, and meaningfully participate in society.

The statement added, "We stand with the Afghan people in their demand for equal rights in line with the Taliban's commitments to all Afghans and Afghanistan's obligations under international law."It suggested that with these measures Taliban is further isolating itself from the international community.

G7 called on the Taliban to lift the restrictions that it imposed on women and girls.

"Echoing our joint statement, together with Norway, from March 24, we call on the Taliban to urgently take steps to lift restrictions on women and girls, respect their human rights, and meet the expectations of Afghans and the world to permit their full, equal and meaningful participation in work, education and public life, as well as freedom of movement and freedom of speech, which is crucial for long-term peace, stability and development of the country," it continued. (ANI)