By: Rukhshana Media
Dozens took to the streets of Kandahar to protest the killing of a woman, who was shot dead by the Taliban, carrying her body to the provincial governor’s office.
Taliban fighters opened fire at a Riskha Kandahar city yesterday, killing one woman and wounding two others when the driver didn’t stop at a checkpoint.
The protest began in Chawke Keftan Madad, continued to the governor’s office where the Taliban dispersed protesters. Taliban prevented more Kandahar residents to join the protest and didn’t allow journalists to cover it.
“God destroys you,” the protesters chanted against the Taliban.
The name of the dead victim was Malika, 45, and the wounded one was her daughter-in-law, Zarmina, 25, Abdul Kabir, Malika’s husband said. Both had gone out to do shopping for the wedding of Malika’s daughter.
Malika was shot in the head and died instantly. Another bullet hit Zarmina in the arm, severely wounding her, he said.
Another wounded woman wasn’t identified.
Janan, Malika’s son, who took part in the protest, said his sister-in-law Zarmina was being treated for her wounds in Maiwand Hospital, and that she was in critical condition. The Taliban aren’t allowing men to visit her, he added.
Taliban have shot dead several civilians at their checkpoints across Afghanistan in the past few weeks.
Meanwhile, a number of Kandahar-based journalists also criticized the Taliban’s new restrictions on media, and lack of access, in Kandahar.
They criticized the Taliban for not allowing local journalists to cover today’s protest in Kandahar.
“Journalists wanted to raise the voice of innocent women who were the victims of the Taliban gunfire,” Abdul Rahman Arghand, a journalist in Kandahar wrote on his Facebook. But “ the Taliban did not allow them and arrested them in front of the provincial office, and took their mobile phones.”
Another journalist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Taliban detained two journalists when they were covering the Kandahar protest, and seized the smartphone of another one. Both were released after a few hours of detention.
Taliban have imposed restrictions on Afghan media since they returned to power last August
