The governor of Bamiyan province said that 13 people in the province have been lashed for having illicit affairs and fleeing home. 

Speaking in an interview with TOLOnews, Abdullah Sarhadi said that five women were among those lashed.

“There exists a Sharia Nikah [marriage], all Muslims are obliged to do Sharia Nikah. They [those punished] were involved in having illicit affairs and fleeing homes,” said Abdullah Sarhadi, the governor of Bamiyan.

Answering a question about the demolition of Buddhas of Bamiyan in 2001, Sarhadi said that the Buddhas were demolished based on the decree of the leader of the Islamic Emirate at that time.

“If the prophet Ibrahim allowed idols we would also. We are not idolaters and idolaters do not live in Afghanistan. Why should we allow idols?” said Abdullah Sarhadi, governor of Bamiyan.

Sarhad added that the local governance is trying to provide employment opportunities for people in the province and that a number of businesspeople have also been consulted with for this purpose.

“We want to see people stand on their feet. We have asked organizations to work in way so that people can get self-reliant. A bag of flour and can of cooking oil will do no good, people will turn into beggars,” said Abdullah Sarhadi, governor of Bamiyan.

The Bamiyan provincial governor said that the ban on women to go to Band-e-Amir is a provisional issue and that women have been denied access to the national park due to their incompliance with Hijab.