Taliban Leader Directs Nationwide Roundup Of Mentally Ill Patients In Afghanistan
Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered the collection of mentally ill patients across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, the group announced.
Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has ordered the collection of mentally ill patients across all 34 provinces of Afghanistan, the group announced.
Abdul Manan Shahidzada, head of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Daikundi province, told state radio that the initiative had already begun there. He said the decree, issued on 29 August, tasked provincial offices of the ministry with identifying and collecting patients.
According to Shahidzada, the order aims to “maintain social order, prevent urban problems and address the condition of mentally ill patients.” He said those collected would be handed over to the Taliban-controlled Red Crescent and other organisations.
The announcement has raised concerns, given the Taliban’s previous treatment of vulnerable people. Last October, Taliban members shot dead a 22-year-old mentally ill man who had blocked them from entering his home. Witnesses said the fighters had attempted to forcibly take him to their checkpoint.