KABUL, Afghanistan — The head of Taliban intelligence, Abdul Haq Wassiq, said Thursday that their intelligence departments are operating based on the Sharia law according to the Hanafi school of thought.
Speaking at a gathering in Kabul on Thursday, Wassiq stated that these laws have been endorsed by the Taliban leader and religious scholars, promising “greater accuracy” in their implementation.
Human rights organizations have consistently raised concerns about the Taliban’s treatment of religious and ethnic minorities. Earlier this month, the Taliban imposed strict restrictions on Muharram rituals, confining mourners to specific areas and reportedly removing Ashura flags in many locations.
Wassiq accused previous Afghan intelligence agencies of engaging in “horrific acts,” including arbitrary arrests, kidnappings, torture, assassinations, espionage for foreign entities, and instilling fear among the populace. He claimed that the Taliban intelligence ranks have been purged of “undesirable” former personnel and replaced with “pure figures from Islamic society.”
These statements come amid severe criticism from international human rights organizations and the United Nations, which have accused the Taliban of torturing and arbitrarily detaining anti-Taliban individuals, including journalists and women’s rights activists.
Earlier this month, The Guardian reported that Taliban members allegedly gang-raped a women’s rights activist in their custody. Detained activists and journalists have also reported being tortured while imprisoned by Taliban intelligence.
The Taliban’s actions continue to draw international condemnation and scrutiny as reports of human rights violations persist.
