The office of the CEO on Monday dismissed as untrue rumors that it had slapped a travel ban on Rahmatullah Nabil, the former head of Afghanistan’s intelligence agency - the National Directorate of Security (NDS).
The CEO’s deputy spokesman Jawed Faisal said on Monday government respects the political activities of all politicians and Nabil is free to travel anywhere and without any restrictions.
Meanwhile, officials from Mehwar-e Mardom-e Afghanistan political group, where Nabil serves as a key member, said government backtracked on its decision following pressure from the US embassy.
Sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, from the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), said that the travel ban on Nabil was initially ordered on 6 January, but the order was then cancelled 11 days later.
“Afghan government strongly values the activities of politicians. A travel ban had not been imposed on Mr. Nabil. He is free to move anywhere and without any legal restrictions,” said Faisal.
But, Mehwar-e Mardom-e Afghanistan argues that government is plotting to trump up cases against politicians.
“The Afghan government is trying to forge cases against the politicians, cases are also made against certain people inside and outside the system,” said Moeen Moeen, chairman of the secretariat of Mehwar-e-Mardom Afghanistan.
The order was issued while Nabil was out of the country. He has not yet returned to Afghanistan.
There are reports however that a government probe team was investigating Nabil’s financial situation and assets.
“If someone comes and says something against the national interests of the country, he should be warned to stop making such comments, but political cases should not be made against them,” said former military Abdul Ghafar Gardezi.
According to Nabil’s political group, the government put pressure on Nabil after the former NDS chief ‘spilled the beans’ on the 2014 presidential elections during TOLOnews’ Black and White program, which was broadcast in November last year.
In the program, Nabil claimed that printing equipment for fake ballot papers were found in houses around Wazir Akbar Khan, in Kabul city, during the run up to the 2014 elections. He claimed the machines were found in the houses of high-ranking officials who are today part of the National Unity Government (NUG).
“Printing machines were placed in Wazir Akbar Khan area (at the homes) of people who are currently high-ranking officials in government,” Nabil said.
When Black and White host Sami Mahdi asked why he had not arrested these individuals, Nabil said: “We reported everything to the president at the time and to the national security adviser (Dr Rangin Dadfar Spanta), to the members of the National Security Council, and Mr. (Omar) Daoudzai was the interior minister at that time, to the IEC chief (Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani) and we as the authority had to report to them but we did not have the right to interfere nor were we the decision-makers,” Nabil added.