The Taliban’s Prison Administration has confirmed the dismissal of Mawlawi Hafizullah Muqtada from his position as the head of prisons in Nangarhar. Sohail Saeed has been appointed as his successor.
Muqtada was removed following reports that he had forcibly married a young female inmate.
Local sources in Nangarhar informed Afghanistan International on Sunday, 24 November, that Muqtada had coerced a young woman, who was imprisoned on charges of “running away from home,” into marriage. The woman had allegedly fled from Pakistan to Afghanistan with an unrelated man, for which she was detained by the Taliban.
Sources claimed that Muqtada released the man from custody to cover up the forced marriage and then compelled the woman to marry him. It was also reported that Muqtada had rented a house in Jalalabad, where the woman now resides.
In response to the allegations, the Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture announced Muqtada’s dismissal and the appointment of Sohail Saeed as the new head of Nangarhar prisons. However, the Directorate’s statement did not address the allegations of forced marriage.
Local sources further indicated that no formal complaint has been filed against Muqtada in government offices, and he has not been referred to court.
In its official statement, the Directorate of Information and Culture praised Muqtada’s past performance and urged prison staff to fully cooperate with the newly appointed director.
