A Human Rights Watch report released on Tuesday claims that the Taliban terrorists have killed or forcibly “disappeared” more than 100 former Afghan police and intelligence officers since taking power in Afghanistan. The report “No Forgiveness for People Like You,’ Executions and Enforced Disappearances in Afghanistan under the Taliban” categorically states that this was part of the continuing retaliation against the Afghan armed forces of the ousted government.
The summary of the report published on the website states that the executions and disappearances have generated fear among former government officials and others who might have believed that the Taliban takeover would bring an end to the revenge attacks that had been characteristic of Afghanistan’s long armed conflict.
Despite announcing an amnesty in public, the Taliban forces have hunted down former officers using government employment records and have targeted those who surrendered and received letters guaranteeing their safety, the report said. In some cases, local Taliban commanders have drawn up lists of people to be targeted, saying they committed “unforgivable” acts. Afghan experts also opine that the Taliban might be using the biometric data which was compiled by the US in alliance with the former Afghan government.
Last week, Taliban Prime Minister Mohammed Hassan Akhund denied in a public address that any retaliation was taking place. The Taliban leadership has repeatedly announced that workers of the former government, including members of the armed forces, have nothing to fear from them but several former army officers have said they were ordered to give up their weapons or face consequences. In return they received a document confirming their surrender and ensuring their safety.
Human Rights Watch has said the promised amnesty has not stopped local commanders from retaliating against former members of the army, police and intelligence services. Through interviews with witnesses, relatives, former government officials, Taliban officials and others, Human Rights Watch said it had documented the killings or enforced “disappearance” of 47 former armed forces members in four provinces between Aug. 15 and Oct. 31. It said its research indicated at least another 53 killings or disappearances took place as well.
Taliban fighters have carried out night raids on homes to detain former security officers or threaten and abuse their relatives into revealing their whereabouts, it said. In multiple cases it documented, the bodies of those who had been taken into detention were later found dumped in the street.
Particularly in Nangarhar province, the Taliban have also targeted people they accuse of supporting the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP, an affiliate of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS). As the United Nations has reported, Taliban operations against ISKP “rely heavily on extra-judicial detentions and killings.” Many of those killed have been targeted because of their Salafist views, or their particular tribal affiliations.
Dr. Niranjan B Poojar 
Bhagyashree Gupta 
Balaji Subramanian