In a resolution, the National Ulema Council of Afghanistan described the ongoing war as illegitimate and called for an immediate end to fighting. The resolution stated that the war is fratricide, murder of Muslims, and destruction of public and private infrastructure.
Addressing a press conference, Acting Council Chairman Mawlawi Sardar Zadran read the resolution and added that the current war is detrimental to Islam and Muslims, and has caused the killing of youth, destruction of public facilities and farms, and increased hatred and enmity among the people.
Zadrad added that ulema in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and most recently Afghan and Pakistani ulema in Mecca conference have already issued fatwa on the illegitimacy of this war in Afghanistan.
In other news, Member of Parliament (MP) for Parwan province Abdul Zahir Salangi announced that he will reward anyone that provides information about those who destroy electricity pylons. Salangi pledged to pay his two-month salary, around 500,000 Afghanis as a reward, as the scheme is the only solution he thought of. Salangi rejected rumors that local thugs were responsible for the destruction of the pylons, and blamed terrorist groups, in particular the Taliban, for the act. Salangi added that he had identified such culprits and handed over to the ANDSF, 2 years ago, by proposing a reward of 300,000 Afghanis.
Meanwhile, local officials in Herat province reported that two kidnapping groups were disbanded during an NDS operation. The groups had 11 members and were involved in several kidnapping cases. Provincial Governor Abdul Saboor Qane told a news conference that one of the groups had kidnapped a religious scholar from Guzara district, who has been released during the operation.
A kidnapper claimed that he was intending to build a madrassa from the religious scholar’s ransom, who would also get some reward in the afterlife. The kidnapped scholar said that he was in kidnappers’ custody for 23 days, who had asked for $500,000 USD as ransom. Local officials gave assurances that efforts are ongoing to free 3 individuals, who are still in kidnappers’ custody.
Also, the Office of Prisons Administration reported that former commander of the Afghan National Civil Order Police, Zmarai Paikan, has been transferred to the National Directorate of Security (NDS) for investigation. There has been a rumor that Paikan has been released from prison.
Head of the Office’s media department, Saifullah Jalalzai, told Hashte Subh daily that Paikan is still in government custody, and has been officially handed over to the NDS, for further judicial investigation. Jalalzai said that the Office is responsible to keep prisoners, and if the judiciary seeks further legal procedures into the cases, the prisoners will be handed over to them. Police arrested Paikan in August 2020, after 3 years of chasing. Three years ago, Paikan was sentenced to 8.5 years in prison on allegations of misusing his authority and cooperating with his son in a murder case.
