Taliban Dismisses 6 Group Officials Involved In Abduction Of 17-Year-Old Girl

According to the statement, one person received 39 lashes, and two others received 30 lashes each.

In addition to public flogging, one of them was sentenced to three and a half years in prison, and the other two were each sentenced to one year and one month of imprisonment.

In a statement on Sunday, the Taliban's Supreme Court stated that the lower court in Dawlat Abad had sentenced three individuals on charges of "sexual relations outside of marriage" and "escaping from home" during the month of Ramadan.

The Taliban did not provide any explanation about the identities of these individuals.

According to the statement from the Taliban's Supreme Court, the defendants were publicly flogged in the presence of Taliban’s judicial and military officials in Faryab province, along with a large crowd of people.

Since the Taliban took control in Afghanistan, they have carried out physical punishments such as flogging, amputation, and execution, citing the enforcement of Islamic Sharia law.

Recently, Radio Television Afghanistan, under Taliban control, aired a message attributed to Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, emphasising on the implementation of Sharia law and physical punishments, including stoning of women.

However, human rights organisations and the international community have consistently urged the Taliban to cease the public punishment of Afghan citizens through flogging, amputation, and execution.

According to the statement, the flogging sentence was issued by the lower court in Khost province, with Taliban officials present during its execution.

Human rights organisations and the international community have consistently urged the Taliban to halt the cruel and inhumane punishments of the accused.

However, the Taliban responded that they are implementing Islamic Sharia law and that countries and international organisations should not interfere in Afghanistan's internal affairs.

He said, "The Quran, the Hadiths of the Prophet, and Hanafi jurisprudence form the basis of our constitution."

In response to concerns about the lack of legislation in the Taliban governance, Sharei noted that following the group's takeover of power, directives from the Taliban leader and various laws were published in five official journals of the ministry of justice.

These statements have triggered objections from a new critic of the Taliban, who has consistently challenged statements made by Taliban officials and spokespersons in recent weeks. Habiburrahman Hekmatyar, the son of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has been involved in virtual disputes with Taliban officials following his father's expulsion from his residence by the Taliban’s Justice Minister.

On Monday, Hibiburrahman wrote on X social media platform that the Taliban government lacks a constitution and referred to Sharei’s contradictory statements on this issue.

He pointed out that the Taliban’s Justice Minister had previously indicated intentions to implement the constitution of former king of Afghanistan, Mohammad Zahir Shah, while also stating that work is underway on a new constitution. Hekmatyar's son argued that Sharei's remarks regarding the Quran and tradition suggest a lack of the existence of the Taliban’s constitution.

Furthermore, Hekmatyar criticised the behaviour of the Taliban, saying that such actions mock Islam and push the youth towards "secularism”.

He challenged Sharei’s remarks by questioning if the Quran serves as the Taliban's constitution, then he must clarify, "Where has it been stated that the minister should have three deputies, Kabul should be the capital, and you should be the minister?"

In the early days of the Taliban's rule in 2021, the Taliban's Justice Minister had declared that the group would temporarily implement the constitution of Mohammad Zahir Shah's era, except for provisions conflicting with Sharia law.

Subsequently, last year, the Taliban's deputy prime minister for political affairs announced that, under the directive of Hibatullah Akhundzada, the group's leader, efforts were underway to draft a new constitution. However, despite two and a half years having passed under Taliban rule, the desired constitution is yet to be formulated.

According to the letter, the Taliban has commenced the process of purging its forces under new conditions.

Mullah Yaqoob, son of Mullah Mohammad Omar, the former Taliban leader, not only holds the position of the defence minister, but also leads the Taliban's purification commission.

The letter, issued officially on Saturday, explicitly states that the committee's delegations across all provinces operate independently in their endeavours.

The letter indicates that the deputy governor in each province is tasked with overseeing the Taliban's purification commission and holds the authority to address the issues.

Furthermore, it adds that every member of the Taliban must be stationed in the province where they participated in combat during the 20-year war against the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Previously, the activities of the Taliban's purification commission had sparked numerous objections among group members, with some accusing commission members of discriminating against non-Kandahari individuals.

The Taliban’s Prime Minister’s office reported on Friday, quoting Hakim, that religious schools in remote areas of Panjshir need to be strengthened.

In a statement, it was mentioned that Hakim had presented a report to Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister on the social, economic, and local governance situation of the Taliban in Panjshir. The details of this report have not yet been released.

However, over the past two and a half years, a significant number of Panjshir residents have been arrested, tortured, and killed for allegedly supporting the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan and fighting against the Taliban. Previously, in July 2022, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Taliban, had stated that the capacity for recruitment in jihadist schools in Panjshir should be increased.