Guess what? In a shocking revealing through an audiotape, it has come to light that Taliban members, did in fact, rape a woman in Khawak area of Panjshir province. This was admitted on the audio record by Mawlawi Aminul Haq, the chief judge in Panjshir.
Go deeper:
- The admission of the Taliban official on the audio tape has been received by several media outlets.
- Haq admitted that he had gone to the area where the incident took place and paid a visit to the victim family. However, he denied allegations that the woman’s daughters had been raped by the group’s members. Taliban official said that the woman who has been raped is a Hazara.
- The member of the military complaints commission also said that there had been arrests made in this connection and at least six members of the group had been arrested on charges of rape and rules of Sharia law will be applicable on them.
- This Taliban official requested that the residents of Panjshir “should not publicize the incidents that happen to their sisters and mothers in Panjshir”.
- Previously, Taliban spokesmen had denied the incident in Panjshir province.
Back story: There had been reports earlier this week that Taliban members had raped a woman and her four daughters in the village of “Hazara Kepa Deh Khawak” in Paryan district of Panjshir. It had been reported that the Taliban members stormed the woman’s house, beat her up and then raped her and her daughters, aged between 10-18 years.
Zoom out: The admission of the Taliban’s judge comes at a time when there have been many reports of violence against women in Afghanistan under the group’s rule, however, no action has been taken till now.
- In fact, there have been several case of sexual assault against Taliban members. Saeed Khosty, the former spokesperson of the Taliban’s Interior Ministry, had also been accused by an Afghan woman of forced marriage and rape. However, no action has been taken till not and the complainant had now gone missing.
- This is the first case wherein there has been an admission of guilt on record by the group’s member.
