New Kabul Mayor appointed by Taliban imposes Sharia law amid claims of being moderate

Hamdullah Nomani, the newly appointed Kabul mayor who is also the head of the Taliban's municipality commission, implemented Sharia rule throughout the capital on Monday. Nomani stated in an interview with that contractual companies will be paid, roadside sellers will be relocated, and corrupt individuals will be dealt with in accordance with Sharia law.

Corruption rampant in new Taliban's Afghan

Dozens of reports about corruption in Kabul's municipal government have been published. Pajhwok Afghan News reported two weeks ago that municipality employees and police were illegally collecting roughly 20 million Afghanis per day from sellers.

The Taliban has been attempting to paint a fresh picture of its previous administration (1996-2001), during which they implemented their interpretation of Islamic Sharia law.  Previously, the Taliban ruled in line with a severe interpretation of Islamic law that confined women mostly to their homes. However, in recent years, when pursuing peace talks in Doha, the terrorists have sought to portray themselves as a moderate group. Afghans, for their part, remain sceptical.

International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS), a non-profit international think tank stated, "What is happening in Afghanistan is completely opposite to the Taliban's pledge of respecting human rights. Women, minorities and children are the worst affected."

Soon after seizing the capital, the terrorist group offered an amnesty for government officials and promised women fundamental rights. "However, the past few days have seen women being punished, people from the minority Hazra community being killed and children being subjected to violence," the IFFRAS report said.

Kabul fell to the Taliban on August 15, and since then, the country has been in a state of dread, with escalating reports of human rights violations from all sections of the country. In recent weeks, the UN has received disturbing and reliable reports of the impact of violations of international humanitarian law, as well as violations and abuses of human rights, on civilians. Meanwhile, the Taliban reversed its pledge to support women's rights in Afghanistan and declared a ban on coeducation. This follows the appointment of Shaikh Abdulbaqi Haqqani as acting minister of higher education in Afghanistan on Saturday.

(with inputs from ANI)

Picture Credit: AP