Protesters take to streets in Kabul, call for inclusive govt

Kabul [Afghanistan], December 7 : With the demand for more inclusivity in the government, activists and schoolteachers held a protest in eastern Kabul on Monday, reported Tolo News.
The protestors included both men and women raised the slogans "Taliban! Reconcile with your nation," and "Ensuring justice and equality and the acceptance of each other is the path to resolving the Afghan crisis." The protesters demanded the Islamic Emirate to consider the inclusion of all aspects of society into the government, the report said.
Mohammad Sabir, a protester said, "We have a clear message to the Taliban's leaders. Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada and Mullah Hassan Akhund and all other officials--if you want to remain in Afghanistan, then come and engage with all sides," reported Tolo News.
"They should allow women to go to work and they should provide women with education," said Nazar Mohammad Anwari, another protester.
According to the report, protesters said that the current problems of Afghan women were not only related to forced marriage and Nikah.
"We want our human rights, and those rights that are granted by Sharia. They should not accept just the parts of Sharia that they like and not accept parts of Sharia that they do not like," said Shila Insandost.
Tolo News further reported that some female members formerly working for the security and defence forces, now gathered in an unknown location, said that the world is ignoring their problems.
"The former security forces were the defenders of the people and country. But they are now living in a harsh and fierce situation," said a protester.
According to Tolo News, The Taliban government said that it has been working on plans to facilitate the return of women to work.
"All those women who worked remained on their jobs and are being paid and we expect a plan to be finalized and after that women will be appointed in other fields as well," said Ahmad Wasiq, a member of the cultural commission, reported Tolo News.
Meanwhile, the Taliban have denied a report stating that the outfit executed former police and intelligence officers in Afghanistan since taking over the country in August despite a proclaimed amnesty.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) last week in a report documented the killing or disappearance of former members of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) -- military personnel, police, intelligence service members, and militia -- who had surrendered to or were apprehended by Taliban forces between August 15 and October 31.
Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi on Sunday claimed that "Mujahidin" are fully committed to implementing amnesty decree and employees of the previous administration are not being persecuted for their former opposition."
Any Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) member found breaching amnesty decree will be prosecuted and penalized, he had said.