Kabul – One notable personality in Afghanistan, a former education minister, Dr. Ghulam Farouq Azam, who is also an advisor on energy and power to the interim government, has been arrested.
A message relayed to his family indicated that his imprisonment is a direct consequence of his open criticism of the policies of the current administration on girls’ education.
The Arrest of a Key Government Figure
Dr. Azam is a respected senior Afghan leader who served in many positions and occupied the leading posts in the government.
His recent appointment as advisor on energy and power put him in the middle of both technical and developmental initiatives of the administration.
But it is his history as a former education minister and his long-running activism in support of the rights of women and girls that seem to have driven this recent event.
His family was informed in the message that he was arrested as a result of making a strong remark against the policy preventing girls from going to school after the sixth grade.
This policy has been a subject of disagreement not only in the domestic scene but also internationally, where it has received universal criticism from human rights groups, foreign governments, and local activists.
No additional information has been given by the family, and the Afghan government has not made any official statement concerning the arrest. The lack of transparency raises concerns about the well-being and legal status of Dr. Azam.
Human rights organizations and the international community will keep a close eye on the situation and demand that he be released immediately.
