A British couple in their late 70s - who spent decades of their life educating Afghan girls - are now facing a crackdown by Taliban. 

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Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife Barbie, 75, were detained by the current Afghanistan government led by Taliban on February 1. They were scheduled to appear in the court for the case proceeding on Saturday (March 13) but at the "last moment," they were informed that the hearing had been delayed. 

The couple who had been running training projects in Afghanistan for 18 years - including one that involved training mothers and children - have now spent months in the jail and are facing major health issues. 

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The daughter of the couple claimed that Peter and Barbie spent four hours sitting on the floor, chained to other prisoners before being returned to prison on Saturday. 

The daughter Sarah Entwistle said that her mother was "collapsing due to malnutrition" and father's health was also declining - and they are going through all this despite "no charges against them". 

"The guards indicated that a different judge would now be handling the case, and we continue to hope they will receive a fair hearing in the coming week," Entwistle told the British newspaper. 

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The couple are being held separately. Authorities did not even allowed them to see each other on Saturday, the daughter claimed.

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A life spent on empowering women 

The couple married in Kabul in 1970. They spent decades providing education to girls and women of Afghanistan - until Taliban's comeback. 

Their work was against Taliban's rules as the organisation has banned education for girls over 12-years of age and prohibited women to have a career. But locals were their biggest supporters. 

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'Women are provided only one meal...'

The family of Mr and Mrs Reynolds further narrated the pathetic condition in which they are being kept by Taliban authorities. Their daughter claimed that Barbie is being given only one time of meal. She also have to climb the four flights of stairs to the room where the judge sits and she requires assistance for that. 

"She and the other women are provided only one meal a day, while the men receive three," the daughter told BBC. 

'All girls must be allowed to...' 

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It is not unknown that the condition of girls and women in Afghanistan is as pathetic as one can imagine. The strict dress code, banned education, prohibited employment, and what not. 

As the case of Mr and Mrs Reynolds came, the UN children’s agency on Saturday urged Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers to immediately lift the ban on girls’ education. 

“For over three years, the rights of girls in Afghanistan have been violated,” Catherine Russell, UNICEF executive director, said in a statement. 

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“All girls must be allowed to return to school now. If these capable, bright young girls continue to be denied an education, then the repercussions will last for generations," she added. 

(With inputs from agencies)