A spokesman for Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the First Vice President of Afghanistan, on Sunday said Dostum has still not met President Ashraf Ghani following his return from Turkey.
Dostum’s spokesman Bashir Ahmad Tayyanj said Ghani has not kept promises made to Dostum adding that Dostum so far also has been unable to meet Nizamuddin Qaisari, the police chief of Qaisar district in Faryab and a close aide to Dostum who was arrested in early July.
Dostum returned to Kabul on July 22 after spending 14 months in Turkey.
At his welcome home ceremony in Kabul, Dostum said he would soon meet with Ghani. However he had so far not been able to.
According to Tayyanj, Dostum has also been unable to obtain the president’s permission to visit Qaisari.
“The First Vice President in the last two to three days had contact with officials and we hope they (Dostum and Ghani) meet each other. But we want a productive meeting, we do not want to once again be ashamed in front of our people,” said Tayyanj.
The president’s deputy spokesman Shahhussian Murtazavi however said the president has been extremely busy in the past few days and that a meeting between Ghani and Dostum will take place soon.
Tayyanj also said an advisor to the National Security Council was involved in the arrest of Qaisari and his men, but the National Security Council spokesman rejected the claim.
A number of Faryab residents on Sunday protested in front of the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) in Kabul saying that they still do not know anything about the condition and whereabouts of Qaisari and his men.
The protesters urged AIHRC to follow up on the arrest of Qaisari and his men who are in the custody of security forces.
“Unfortunately, still there is no news about the fate of the soldiers. If Qaisari committed any crime, there is the AGO and legal channels that can address the issue,” Sayed Anwar Rasul Oghali, a member of the youth council of the National Islamic Movement of Afghanistan said.
“Seventeen to 18 men are being detained. We do not know if they are alive or dead. We submitted a letter of complaint to the AGO, they said they will let us visit Qaisari on Saturday, but it did not happen,” said Abdul Rasul, a relative of Qaisari.
AIHRC officials promised the protesters that they will investigate the Qaisari issue.
“I officially received the case and will address it based on the procedures and authorities and duties of the commission,” Abdul Wahed Sirat head of the complaints section of the AIHRC said.
The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) spokesman refused to talk to TOLOnews about the fate of Qaisari, but Ghani’s deputy spokesman said Qaisari like other suspects has a right to have a defense attorney.
Qaisari was arrested nearly a month ago by a Special Forces Unit in Faryab province on accusations of carrying out illegal acts. He was immediately was flown to Kabul.