Daily Times

KABUL – Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has dismissed the National Directorate of Security (NDS) chief along with a number of other high level government officials.

President Ghani arrived in Kunduz on Thursday on a second visit within the past one month to hold talks with the government officials and local residents.

The provincial NDS chief has been dismissed apparently due to negligence and being absent from the duty on the day the city fell to the Taliban control. A number of district governors and other high level government officials have also been dismissed by the president.

The Taliban militants launched coordinated attack on Kunduz city late in the month of September and took control of the city after a day of heavy clash with the security forces. The control of the strategic city was retaken by the Afghan security forces earlier last month with the support of the coalition airstrikes of NATO forces.

The Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) released a report last month unveiling the horrific criminal activities committed by Taliban militants while they were holding the control of Kunduz city.

According to the report, the Taliban were involved mainly in target killings, rape, kidnappings and use of civilians as shields, and looting of public and private properties. It also said that at least 50 civilians were killed and over 350 others were wounded, but the number could be relatively higher as AIHRC report said that their statistics were based on hospital reports and several others had not been taken to hospital after they were killed or injured.

The Taliban militants abducted over 100 people including civilians and service members of the security institutions after they took control of the city, the report said, adding that some of them were released after they were questioned while the others had been taken to unknown locations.

Ashraf Ghani also appointed a task team to investigate the allegations made by the first deputy speaker of the Lower House of Afghan Parliament that the National Security Council (NSC) supports Da’esh fighters as well as the evidence brought up by the lawmaker.

The investigation team consist of three persons, including Nasrullah Stanikzai as the head of the team, and Abdul Fatah Azizi and Mir Mohammad Anwar Sadat as its members.

The team has been tasked to assess the evidence brought by the former deputy speaker in accordance with the constitution, the law on internal and foreign crimes, and other laws including the internal job principles at the house. It is also responsible to investigate the arming some irresponsible people and submit their report to president within a week.