A senior adviser to the Taliban’s Ministry of Energy and Water has been arrested after publicly urging the deployment of female nurses to earthquake-hit Kunar, sources told Afghanistan International on Monday.
The adviser, Farooq Azam, was detained on the orders of Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, the sources said. He has reportedly been transferred to the Taliban’s oversight office in Kabul, and his case referred to a military court in the capital.
“He had recently written posts and made comments in private meetings that contradicted the emirate’s [Taliban] policies, which led to his arrest,” one source said.
Azam drew attention last week when he wrote on Facebook that female nurses should be sent to Kunar to demonstrate to Taliban members opposed to women’s education “that women’s learning is useful” and to provide a practical example of its importance to society.
He also appealed to female health professionals inside and outside Afghanistan to act swiftly to assist those affected by the disaster.
In his post, Azam asked: “Can our educated women take initiative and make sacrifices to secure their place in society? If the answer is yes, then now is the time.”