Broad participation of Afghans in the second round of election was hailed at international level. Afghans made headline globally by their support to democracy. However, the Taliban were no less. They also made headlines by chopping off fingers of 11 voters in western province of Herat.
The incident triggered anger throughout Afghanistan and Afghan users of social media broadly criticized the culprits and demanded justice for the victims. The good news is that three days after the Election Day on which the fingers of the voters of were cut, Afghan officials say the Taliban commander responsible for the incident has been killed in an operation conducted for the same purpose by Afghan security forces in Robat-e Sangi district of Herat.
"Insurgent’s commander Mullah Sher Agha and one of his officers were killed in a police operation yesterday in Herat. The pair was accused of having cut off the ink-dyed fingers of 11 voters in the western province,” read a statement issued by Ministry Interior on Monday. Afghanistan would become a safer place for its residents if justice is served in this manner. In other words, insurgents must know that their throat will be cut if they cut fingers of innocent citizens of Afghanistan.
The militants who are involved in spreading terror in the country by butchering humans like animals must always be dealt with iron hands. Over the last few years, the Karzai administration has kept a soft instance towards Taliban in order to nudge them into peace talks. Hundreds if not thousands of individuals with somehow link to terror organizations including Taliban were set free. Nonetheless, Taliban’s response to such sympathies of government has always been bloodier attacks that cost lives of thousands of military and non-military people every year.
In the recently held election run-off, militants not only chopped off fingers of voters but also clashed with Afghan security forces. Conflicts on the Election Day caused deaths of scores of people including Afghan police and soldiers. Through terror attacks the militants tried to disrupt the election process. Nonetheless, it is evident that have brutally failed. Afghanistan National Security Forces (ANSF) made holding of election possible even in volatile provinces.
ANSF has many achievements. However, Taliban still possess grave threats to stability of Afghanistan. If the future government of Afghanistan avoid Taliban-friendly policies and pronounces as enemies instead of brothers, the ANSF will definitely be in a better position to defend the country against terrorist in far better way.