Female Afghan soccer players flee to Pakistan, joining exodus of women and girls

When the Taliban last controlled Afghanistan, from 1996 to 2001, the group enforced a radical interpretation of Islamic law that forced women to wear burqas while preventing them from working, attending school or appearing in public without male chaperones. Since capturing the country last month, the Taliban has pledged to respect women’s rights, with the caveat that such rights must not contradict the group’s view of culture and religion.