'Attack of Police' to Girl's Dormitory in Balkh"... student claims that this is the third time that armed men are trying to enter to this dormitory in the middle of nights."Haroon Najafi Zada in Mazar-e-Sharif Tens of female students of Balk University have strike and closed the entry gate of dormitory to the faces of supervisors for their objection as what they have called the 'attack of policemen to girl's dormitory'. These girls who's number has been reported more than hundred, are saying that in the middle of last night (4th June), two policemen who had drunk alcoholic drink, by attacking to girl's dormitory in Mazar-e-Sharif, wanted to rape them.
"At least four of the current candidates for provincial police chief were barred from standing as candidates in last year's parliamentary elections for having links to illegal militias."
"... Kabul's police chief, Jamil Jumbish, has been implicated in murder, torture, intimidation, bribery and interfering with investigations into misconduct by officers directly under his control." HRW, May 4, 2006
One of these girls who didn't disclose her name said: “last mid-night when we were all sleeping, two drunken men knocked the gate of the dormitory and when we woke up; they asked us to open the gate for them.” She added: “We were very frightened and didn't open the gate. Then they climbed on the wall and tried to enter the dormitory from there.” A number of these students have strike and are not ready to open the gate for the supervisors of the dormitory and security officials. Vice-chancellor of the university, head of security and head of police and some other official have gathered behind the gate of the dormitory and have asked for the end to this strike. But these girls have shown their concern for the lack of their security and are criticizing the directorate of Balkh University and governor of this province strongly regarding this issue. Another student claims that this is the third time that armed men are trying to enter to this dormitory in the middle of nights. Gen. Imamuddin, Security Head of Balkh province said that they have arrested these two policemen with the charges of attacking to the dormitory and have handed over them to attorney general's office. He said that the security of the girls is assured and there is no concern regarding this issue.
"Corruption is a growth industry for Afghanistan's police. They stand accused of extorting money from drug smugglers, gun runners, brothel owners and gamblers, in return for looking the other way. Those who refuse to pay can be arrested as part of an apparently virtuous clean-up campaign, and then released once they hand over the cash. "
IWPR, May 6, 2006
At the same time, Assadullah Haris, admin officer of Balkh University, after criticizing the police force said that escorts of the dormitory shouldn't have allowed the two policemen to enter the courtyard of the university. But the escorts of the girl's dormitory are saying that these two officers are from commanding rank of police and belong to their dignitary seniors so they were unable to stop them entering the environment of the university. The female students of Balkh University are from different provinces of Afghanistan; they are very angry regarding this problem and didn't attend the classes to show their objection. This strike is taking place in a situation while the 20% exams of the students have started and there is fear that if the strike continues, the objector students will be left behind from the exams. [RAWA Homepage] [More reports from Afghanistan] [RAWA Photo Gallery] http://www.rawa.org |