“The future looks dark, I had many dreams, wanted to continue studying and working. I was thinking of doing my master’s. At the moment, they [the Taliban] don’t even allow girls to finish high school.” -Former Afghan government employee speaking to Human Rights Watch researchers
Shortly after the release of Professor Jalal, the Taliban-Haqqani terrorist network faced a new round of anti-Taliban and anti-Pakistan protests. How the Taliban regime is reacting to the protests is worrying human rights groups and terrorizing Afghans.
Taliban Has Targets
Human Rights Watch released a report this week detailing the unimaginable impacts of the Taliban regime’s human rights violations. The majority of the regime’s restrictions on society have negatively impacted Afghan women. That is the reason that so many brave Afghan women are stepping forward each day to protest this injustice.
This act of defiance against the Taliban-Haqqani terrorists is coming at a high cost. As Human Rights Watch Associate women’s rights director, Heather Barr, explained it “Threats, intimidation, violence, pepper spray, and electric shock. That’s how the Taliban respond–in violation of international law–to 25 women peacefully protesting against the roll back of their rights.”
Many Afghan civil rights members have been killed in the last week. In Baghlan province, Mehdi Wahedi has been reported shot on the night of January 18. In Balk, reports are coming out that Hanifa Nazari was assassinated near her home in Mazar-e-Sharif. She was one of the leaders organizing against human rights violations. In Khost, on January 19, more protesters were killed and injured when the Taliban began firing on their peaceful march. They also arrested anyone that was filming or photographing the incident.
The number of Afghans that have been disappeared and arrested by the Taliban-Haqqani regime is growing. The Afghan policewoman Alia Aziz has been missing for over four months now and the Taliban will not comment on her disappearance. Another leader of the protest movements was arrested at this week when Tamana Zaria Parwani was taken by Taliban thugs breaking into her home. In Ghazni sources say that the deputy of the Journalists Union Rahmatullah Marjankhel, has been arrested by the Taliban.
The Taliban are also stalking Afghans online, using tech savvy allies to watch and track Afghans for their social media activities. This week they accused former Mayor Zarifa Ghafari of plotting against the Taliban regime.
Pakistan Getting What They Want
Meanwhile the Taliban-Haqqani leaders are continuing to call for the world to recognize them as a legitimate government. The so-called Prime Minister specifically called out Muslim-majority nations to come to their aid when he “urged the Islamic countries to not wait for other nations and to take the first steps toward recognition of the new government of Afghanistan.” This is in keeping with the main objective of their Pakistani backers to form a puppet-government for Pakistan that is internationally recognized.
The continued public meddling of Pakistan has further unified Afghans in opposition to Pakistani activities. Earlier this week, the National Security Advisor of Pakistan announced a trip to Kabul to talk to his puppet regime. An instant backlash arose with Afghans planning a non-violent protest to coincide with his visit. The Pakistani leader quickly cancelled his trip; but the Taliban quickly tracked down and detained Azeem Azeemi, one of the protest organizers.
Through all the threats, violence and disappearances of the Afghan people, protesters, mostly led by women, are still taking to the streets and social media to call out the human rights violations of the Taliban-Haqqani regime. How long Afghans can last without assistance from the outside world?
