Following claims against the Balkh governor Atta Mohammad Noor over the arrest of Mohammad Asif Mohmand, a member of Balkh provincial council, Noor’s office rejected the claims and said Mohmand was arrested by security forces after an order was issued by the Attorney General’s Office in the province.
Hours after the incident, Noor, in a Facebook post, accused National Security Advisor Mohammad Hanif Atmar and Massoum Stanekzai, head of the National Directorate of Security, of destabilizing the province.
“Mr. Advisor of the national security (Mr. Hanif Atmar) and the respected head of the NDS (Mr. Massoum Stanekzai), do not destabilize Balkh, which has relative security, by plotting conspiratorial projects,” he wrote on his Facebook.
Provincial governor spokesman Munir Ahmad Farhad said Mohmand is now in NDS custody and investigations are underway.
He said that there are certain charges against Mohmand which include involvement in corruption in some contracts, and forgery of documents.
“The arrest warrant of Mr. Mohmand was referred to the Balkh police headquarters two or three months ago by the NDS attorney and anti-corruption criminal justice center and there are certain charges against him such as forgery of signature of the deputy of the administrative office of the president and contracts.” said Farhad.
Mohmand was apparently arrested on arrival at Balkh airport.
According to local officials, a stand off ensued on Monday night between Mohmand and border security forces for several hours. Eventually security forces arrested him.
But, Mohmand’s family members have rejected the allegations against him, saying the arrest was made by armed men on the orders of the provincial governor Atta Mohammad Noor.
They called on government to investigate the incident.
Ibrahim Khairandesh, another member of Balkh provincial council had been accompanying Mohmand at the time of his arrest at the airport.
“All areas were cordoned off by personnel of the Balkh governor; they had brought a lot of forces even from the special unit and public protection force and militia forces belonging to Atta Mohammad Noor,” said Khairandesh
Mohmand’s brother, Mustafa Mohmand, said that his brother was kept for hours at Noor’s house and then he was handed over to the security forces after being tortured.
“What of kind justice is here in Balkh, my brother was arrested by 800 people. Why did he (Noor) not ask the police chief to do it? If government does not act within two days, we will not bury our martyrs,” said Mustafa Mohmand.
But, Balkh police commander in an interview with Radio Arman said that the police personnel under his command did not have any role in the arrest and that the police did not have an arrest warrant for him.
Office of national security advisor in a Facebook page has dismissed the allegations as baseless.