The Taliban has rejected the murder of Lal Mohammad Gharibzadeh, the former commander of the local police forces of Chaharbulak district of Balkh province. Gharibzadeh was shot and killed on Thursday, on the road between Mazar-e-Sharif and Chaharbulak.
The Taliban Said to the kauser News Agency on a phone call that ”they were “deeply saddened” by Gharibzadeh’s death and that they had “nothing to do with it.” said that the Taliban was committed to peace and reconciliation and that they would never target innocent civilians.”
Gharibzadeh’s family and friends have accused the Taliban of being responsible for his murder. They say that Gharibzadeh was a vocal critic of the Taliban and that he had been threatened by them in the past.
The murder of Gharibzadeh is the latest in a series of targeted killings of former government officials and security personnel in Afghanistan. In recent months, the Taliban has been accused of carrying out a number of assassinations, including the killing of the former governor of Balkh province, Ata Mohammad Noor.
The Taliban’s rejection of Gharibzadeh’s murder is unlikely to be enough to convince his family and friends that he was not killed by the Taliban. The killing of Gharibzadeh is a reminder of the ongoing violence in Afghanistan and the challenges facing the country’s peace process.
