Mujahid rejects HRW allegations as baseless

KABUL (Pajhwok): The caretaker government of Afghanistan on Friday rejected as baseless Human Rights Watch (HRW)’s allegations that officials of the Islamic Emirate killed innocent people or violated the rights of citizens.

In a statement, Human Rights Watch (HRW) expressed concern over the continued violations of human rights, especially of women and girls, by the current caretaker government of Afghanistan, and called on the international community to take action and put more pressure.

Heather Barr, the organization’s head of women’s affairs, said countries around the world should unanimously respond to the “illegal actions” of Afghanistan’s caretaker government, coordinate their actions and show that the world truly defended the rights of Afghans, especially women and girls.

The group also called for renewed sanctions on three leaders of Afghanistan’s caretaker government.

The three leaders include Maulvi Hibatullah Akhundzada, the supreme leader of the Islamic Emirate, Sheikh Mohammad Khalid Hanafi, acting minister of vice and virtue and Abdul Haq Wasiq, director general of intelligence.

However, Islamic Emirate spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a statement on twitter termed as baseless the allegations that innocent people were killed or the rights of citizens violated.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan urges the United Nations and human rights organizations not to listen to baseless propaganda against the Islamic Emirate and to accept the realities in Afghanistan,” Mujahid said.

Mujahid said that human rights were more secure in the country now than in the last 20 years.

He said there were no more war related casualties, no more insecurity, no more civilian casualties, no more robberies, no more theft and no more violence.

According to Pajhwok’s weekly reports, 76 people were killed and 75 others injured in various incidents other than natural disasters in last one month, but hundreds of people would get killed and wounded each week during the past conflict.

Zabihullah Mujahid said that all the relevant agencies of the Islamic Emirate, including the intelligence, were treating the criminals in the light of Islamic principles.

He says there is no evidence to prove that intelligence agencies have killed or executed anyone without trial or beaten by staff at the Ministry of Amar Bil Maroof and Nahi Anil Munkir.

He said all prisoners were being treated in accordance with Islamic principles and humanitarian law, and that no one had been punished without trial.

However, some people on social media have claimed that they were mistreated or beaten by security personnel, but officials said that security personnel engaged in illegal activities were also being treated legally.

“Intelligence officials have never killed journalists but only summoned and recommended in case of violation of journalistic principles,” Mujahid said.

He contended it was common all over the world that anyone who destroyed the system or incited people against the system should be questioned.

According to him, the allegations made by Human Rights Watch on the above issues are baseless.

He said that if the international community was in favor of peace, security and improving the lives of the people in Afghanistan, it should help the Islamic Emirate to strengthen the existing security, safe and secure environment and make Afghans live in peace.

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