Taliban has jailed a popular professor at Kabul University for criticizing the outfit, shot at women opposing restrictions on their rights, and publicly given Afghan males haircuts for the New Year, reported a Canada-based Thinktank, International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS).
The recent arrest of a prominent Afghan University professor and outspoken critic in Kabul, Faizullah Jalal, a professor of law and political science at Kabul University, is yet another example of Taliban's return to old ways.
Jalal, since the Taliban took over, has made multiple appearances on television talk shows, blaming the Taliban for the increasing financial crisis and criticizing them for ruling by force.
In one television interview, Jalal referred to Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem as a "calf," a derogatory term in Afghanistan.
This infuriated Taliban, which followed his arrest. According to the Taliban, Jalal is "trying to instigate people against the system and was playing with the dignity of the people".
The Taliban also said that they have arrested the professor so that others do not make similar senseless comments.
Jalal's wife Massouda, who had run against former President Hamid Karzai in 2004 as Afghanistan's first woman candidate for the presidency, recently posted on Facebook that her husband had been arrested by Taliban forces and detained in an unknown location.
"Dr. Jalal has fought and spoken out for justice and the national interest in all his activities pertaining to human rights," she said.
Over 30,000 students in Kunduz have been deprived of schooling because their classrooms happen to be in a conflict zone between the former Security Forces of Afghanistan and the Taliban, the Thinktank said.
The international community is making efforts to provide aid and assistance to the Afghans in the strife-torn country however United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) High Commissioner Filippo Grandi declared that the Taliban must keep some promises if their financial resources are to be unfrozen.
According to International Forum for Rights and Security (IFFRAS), this is possibly the strongest statement yet from a UN institution that the Taliban must change their methods. However, it is not clear if the Taliban is in any mood to change colours.
Earlier, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees said that the Taliban must allow Afghan women and girls to attend schools and minorities must be represented in the government, reported TOLO News.
He also stated, "it is important to maintain that dialogue with the Taliban because all these systems will be temporary in nature, and how to ensure that Afghanistan is viable, is a viable country able to support its people, I think it will only be achieved through dialogue between the international community and the Taliban themselves,", reported the Thinktank.
With all the messaging going on Taliban will have to mend its ways if it does not want to face any sanctions by the international community.
Following the Taliban's takeover in mid-August, the US froze nearly $10 billion in assets and imposed sanctions on Afghanistan.
The suspension of foreign aid has had a significant negative impact on the Afghan economy and people's livelihoods. Women and children are disproportionately affected.
The international community wants to provide aid to the country but Taliban, on the other hand, still seems to be resorting to its old ways.
( With inputs from ANI )
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