The meeting took place on Saturday (August 23). It included members of the Afghan Shia Scholars Council, the High Commission of Shias, and other community elders.
Professor Mohammad Akbari, deputy head of the Shia Scholars Council, raised the issue of armed and illegal entry of Kuchi nomads into central Afghanistan, violence against villagers, and the destruction of farmlands. He asked the government to enforce decisions made by the Central Commission on Kuchis and villagers. He warned that ignoring this issue would increase tensions between local people and the Kuchis.
He also said that in provinces and districts where Shias are the majority, governors, mayors, and police chiefs should be appointed from the Shia community. In addition, he called for the continuation of important development projects in central Afghanistan, such as the “Gardandiwar Highway” and the North-South Highway.
Hujjat-ul-Islam Mohammad Ali Akhlaqi, head of the High Commission of Shias, supported these demands. He also asked the government to stop the transfer of staff and equipment from Ali Jinnah Hospital in West Kabul, a Shia area. He warned that moving the hospital would make health care difficult for more than two million people.
Other issues raised in the meeting included permission to build mosques and houses, compensation for homes destroyed during road expansion, and greater attention to the social needs of the Shia community.
In reply, Maulvi Noorul Haq Anwar said that infrastructure projects are important and promised cooperation. He added that he would discuss the restart of development projects with the relevant authorities.
A group of senior Shia leaders in Afghanistan met with Maulvi Noorul Haq Anwar, head of the Taliban’s Administrative Office, to share the problems and demands of the Shia community in Kabul and other parts of the country.
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