Few days ago, a report was released about the tragic incident that appended on the highway between center of Sar-e-Pul Province and Balkhab district. It once again scratched a relatively old pain. It was about the painful story of Hussain Nazari, the independent candidate for provincial council who was shot death just four days before the elections day, April 5. Based on statements of the only person who survived surprisingly remain alive, they stopped near a village to offer their prayer. After completing their pray, they all set in the car and headed toward Balkhab district that around 30 armed Taliban, all riding on motorcycles surrounded them.

Notorious Taliban militants blamed Mr. Nazariof cooperating with government though he argued that he was an independent provincial election nominee and just wanted to help people. But the Taliban militants who were allegedly receiving guidance from Pakistan paid deaf ears. The only survived individual who says that he experienced the death told to journalists that Hussain Nazari frequently emphasized that if nomination was cooperation with government, so, they should arrest and punish him not the rest of people who were civilian and had nothing to do with government. But they paid deaf ears. Thus, three days later while all presidential candidates were busy talking about their illusionary programs and highlighting the weakness of rivals and strengths of their selves, beside slogans of presidential and provincial candidates, domestic newspapers’ headlines were bolded by horrible news of murder of ten innocent individuals who all were in a taxi.

Now the report released on Open Society newspaper revealed some vague parts of the story. Surprisingly, one of those who were abducted with Hussain Nazari survived sustaining serious injuries. His name is Zarif Karimi who now has told everything related to the incident. He says that Taliban made them stand in line and then two men who stood opposite to us pointing their Kalashnikovs toward them.

“Then the mokhtar Hussain Baluchwhile sending some of his armed men around to look that everything goes smoothly, said that recite your confession of Allah Almighty (Kalema). Then two shooters who were standing opposite to us emptied the entire magazines on us. Everyone fell down and I could vividly see the bloods were gushing out of our bodies. I just could hear deafening screams for a while. The command for second barrage was given. The barrage of bullets was piercing our bodies. It was repeated for the third time but still I was conscience and could hear the screams of my friends. They came near us and shot those who seemed alive. Then the surrounding became quiet and serene. It seemed that all were killed and are taking their last breaths. For once I thought that I was dead like the rest of my friends. I remembered the speeches of religious scholars who say that after demise, the spirit will get out of the body and stand nearside. I thought it was my spirit that is standing beside my corpse and see the stream of blood gushing out of our bodies”.

The above statements are part of the exact quote of the incident that Mr. Zarif remembered.

The most interesting part of the story is that Mr. Zarif recognized two commanders of Taliban who are responsible for murder of Hussain Nazari and his friends. As he told to the newspaper, the top commander whose order was indisputably enforced is a person by the name of Dadgul. Zarif says that when they were surrounded by Taliban militants, his memory flashed back about the familiarity of one of them. Later on when they were under investigation, he detected name of the familiar person was Dadgul who is one of the employs of Directorate of Education in Sare-Pul province. Dadgul is the top commander of Taliban who was recognized by Zarif Karimi because he previously met him in Directorate of Education in Sar-e-Pul province still walks freely, making mockery of victims’ families. Based on the statement of Karimi, during their investigation Taliban often uttered that if Dadgul agreed, you might be released. But he was such a notorious and evil person that who does not care about the lives of anyone. By any chance, he worked as the public employee for years. How on the earth nobody got informed about secret activities? If he was the commander he might spend a lot of time to design and plan attacks in various Northern provinces. Why none of his line managers and the chief of education directorate asked him why the hell he does not come regularly to the office?

Even worse, why after the incident everything was forgotten and nobody cared about the murder of 10 people who were all innocent? Does the government and provincial officials do not pay attention toward the lives of innocent people? I hope soon further investigations take place and the notorious face of all those who directly or indirectly involved in the case be revealed. Both his colleagues in the education directorate as well as security forces who arrested him and then set him free should be brought to justice. It is really ridiculous that his colleagues never suspected him. And after uncovering his true face and arrest by police, why he was set free? These are the questions that should be answered by security officials.