Human rights violated in conflict areas: Balkh youth

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): A number of youth and civil society activists in northern Balkh province on Sunday said human rights were violated in many conflict areas following spike in violence in the province.

Talking to a conference about peace and opportunities in Mazar-i-Sharif, capital of Balkh province, the youths and civil society activists voiced on the Taliban and the government to agree on an immediate ceasefire.

Frozan Aria, a member of New Generation Jirga, a civil society institute, said that they wanted to discuss factors that could help reduce conflicts in the country.

She said they had invited people from different walks of life to the conference to talk about current opportunity for the establishment of peace in Afghanistan.

The views of youths would be incorporated in a resolution letter that would be shared with UNAMA, Aria added.

Aria said that the ongoing conflict caused huge casualties to civilians in many parts of the country and there was need for immediate pause in violence.

A civil society activist from Mazar-i-Sharif, Bashir Badlon said that the current peace process had failed to provide a peaceful solution in the face of growing insecurity in the country.

He said that there was need for an urgent ceasefire between the Taliban and the government keeping in view the worsening situation.

“Reconstruction works have stopped in many districts due to conflicts, health and education services are affected and people are faced with great economic problems besides casualties in war,” he said.

Badlon said that the Taliban and government should have reached an understanding during negotiations that the ongoing crisis could not be solved militarily.

FribaAkbaryar, a women’s rights activist in Balkh, said that besides huge civilian casualties, human rights were also violated in the current conflict.

She said that women and girls were restricted from education and political and social activities in areas under the Taliban control.

Akbaryar said that the government and Taliban should take advantage of the current opportunity and reach a peaceful agreement.

Mds/ma