Helmand war victim seeks justice for slain family members

LASHKARGAH (Pajhwok): A man, who lost four family members to a mortar attack that injured six other members of his family in Marja district of southern Helmand province about five years ago, wants foreign troops responsible for the attack to be tried in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The war victim family lives in Achakzai block area and claims their house was targeted by foreign forces four years and nine months ago.

Bari Dad, the head of the ill-fated family,  told Pajhwok Afghan News that foreign forces targeted his house with mortar shells four years and nine months ago, in which his 12 years old daughter and his 5, 13 and 22 years old sons were killed.

The attack also injured his baby son, a brother and his three more daughters, he said.

Bari Dad urged the government of Islamic Emirate (IE) and media outlets to help him drag the perpetrators to the ICC.

Wiping his tears with one hand and with other hand pointing to the rubbles of his house which is now turned into a cultivation land, the 65-year-old told Pajhwok Afghan News: “There was my house which is now changed into a cultivation land and there was my other shelter. Currently, I am in a dire economic situation”.

“The foreign troops meted out a great atrocity to me that still haunts me. I hate the war that unleashed a river of sorrow on us, I always remember my martyred sons.”

He said: “I call on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to bring to justice foreign soldiers who killed innocent Afghans and I also ask the government to provide us aid”.

However, Helmand officials say a commission has been formed to reach out to all victims of the previous wars.

Maulavi Mohammad Qasim Riaz, the head of Information and Culture Department, told Pajhwok a joint commission had been formed by the provincial authorities to assist victims of wars.

Haji Pahlawan, a resident of Achakzai area and a tribal elder, called on the caretaker government to provide assistance to the victims of wars and asked international courts to punish the perpetrators of war crimes.

He said: “The house of Bari Dad was targeted by foreign forces four years and nine months ago which killed his daughter and three sons and injured his six family members including his brother”.

Pahlawan added a mosque and some other buildings also suffered damages during that mortar attack.

The government and the international community must help the victims of previous wars and bring the perpetrators to justice, he added.

Maulavi Gul Mohammad, another resident of the area and a religious scholar, asked the Islamic Emirate government to ask the foreign troops about their crimes and bring the perpetrators of war crimes to justice.

He added: “Countries whose troops killed innocent Afghans should compensate their families and try their soldiers and traders and the government must provide aid to the families of victims”.

It is worth mentioning that countless people suffered casualties and financial losses during the past two decades of wars.

aw/ma

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