Atrocities meted out to the citizens and government officials by the Taliban do not seem to stop. Within a span of one week, the group killed three officials of the Ministry of Education (MoE) in Urozgan, Parwan and Herat provinces. Local officials on Thursday confirmed the killings and said that the group has adopted a new strategy to stall the progress being made in the educational sector.
The MoE said that the Taliban killed the district education chief of Khas District in Urozgan province. The assassination of the district education chief of Ghurband district in Parwan province and deputy district education chief of Shindand district is also suspected to be a handy work of the Taliban.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Asif Nang, Deputy Minister of Education condemned the killings and blamed the Taliban for it.
"We have started investigating the incidents. Primary investigations revealed that they were killed by the Taliban," said Mr. Nang.
Experts feel that the education officials were targeted as the Taliban do not want that education should be imparted in the country. They do not want that the education system in the country should grow. Additionally, the experts criticized the MoE for not taking steps to prevent such incidents.
Such reaction from the Taliban against the education system is not something new. Previously, they had burnt down several schools across the country and had poisoned several school children, mostly girls.
Afghanistan has the lowest literacy rate in the world and the government has not done enough to impart education. It is high time that the government takes measures and improves the literacy rate of the country.