The International Criminal Court prosecutor said on Thursday he had applied for arrest warrants for two Taliban leaders in Afghanistan including supreme spiritual leader Haibatullah Akhundzada, accusing them of the persecution of women and girls.

Afghanistan's Taliban government said on Friday an arrest warrant sought by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for its leaders was "politically motivated". It comes a day after the ICC chief prosecutor said he was seeking warrants against senior Taliban leaders in Afghanistan over the persecution of women -- a crime against humanity.