Afghanistan: Taliban member kills young girl after she rejected marriage proposal

KABUL [Afghanistan]: Afghanistan's Taliban security head killed a young girl in Balkh province after she rejected his marriage proposal, Khaama Press reported citing local sources.

The Taliban administration's head of Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in the Sholgara district of Balkh province, Mullah Yasin killed a young girl named Maryam after she rejected his marriage proposal.

Surprisingly, the Taliban government officials in the Balkh province acknowledged the incident and claimed that Mullah Yasin was detained and assured that he is in custody.

According to Mohammad Asif Waziri, the spokesperson for the Taliban chief of police in the province of Balkh, Maryam was the victim of a single murder by a department employee, reported Khaama Press.

The Taliban leader had previously told his people to decide on a path of action, think about their responsibilities, and refrain from having more than one wife, according to Khaama Press.

This occurs at a time when Taliban commanders are reported to have paid sizable dowries to their fathers-in-law in return for the hands of their daughters, and a Taliban commander recently transported his newlywed bride home on a military chopper belonging to the Afghan National Army, as per Khaama Press.

Ever since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, the plight of Afghan women has continued to be deplorable in the country.

Women's lives have become worst under the Taliban's regime. The girls were stopped from going to school beyond sixth grade on March 23 and a decree against the women's dress code was issued after a month. There are restrictions on movement, education and freedom of expression of women posing a threat to their survival.

Not only this, the lack of female healthcare workers has prevented women from accessing basic medical facilities, and international donors, who fund 90 percent of health clinics, are hesitant to send money because of their fear of the funds being misused.

Around 80 percent of women working in the media have lost their jobs, and almost 18 million women in the country are struggling for health, education and social rights. Many women, particularly those who worked in security agencies, lost their jobs after the Islamic Emirate was re-established.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report the previous month, outlining the human rights situation in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover.

The report summarized UNAMA's findings with regard to the protection of civilians, extrajudicial killings, torture and ill-treatment, arbitrary arrests and detentions, the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, fundamental freedoms and the situation in places of detention. Amid this, the rehiring of women officers comes as a ray of hope for the women facing several severe challenges in the country.

Some female police forces urged the Islamic Emirate to allow more women to work in government institutions. "We ask the Islamic Emirate to let all the women return to their jobs," said Mashoqa, a police officer.