report in Khaama Press, Dec 25, 2020 at 06:08 PM
US Special Envoy for National Reconciliation, Zalmay Khalilzad, condemned assassinations of public figures in a thread of tweets.
He said this level of violence will increase fear and will make people flee the country.
“Living with so much violence is no way to live. It breeds a climate of fear. Fear will drive more Afghans to leave their homeland. Who will then be left to advocate for rights and freedoms? This is not the way a society will thrive and prosper” Khalilzad said.
Khalilzad tweeted, “Yousef Rasheed’s assassination is reprehensible. We condemn it. We also condemn the recent murder of several doctors working in Puli Charkhi and women’s rights activist Freshta Kohistani”.
“People like Yousef and Freshta are essential for any society. They are its conscience and keep its heart beating. They should not be fearful, intimidated, or worse, killed,” he stated.
“These targeted killings and assassinations must stop. They threaten the peace process”, Khalilzad added, that these string of assassinations could negatively affect the peace process in Afghanistan.
US Special Envoy for National Reconciliation also added, that “the Afghan people demand peace. A ceasefire and political settlement remain urgent. I urge the negotiating parties to redouble their efforts. We stand ready to help”.
This comes as Freshta Kohistani, Afghan women’s rights activist and her brother were killed in a target killing incident on Thursday.
Freshta and her brother were gunned down in Dahno Village of Hes-e-Awal in Kohistan district of Parwan province.
The assassination happened a day after CEO of the Free and Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan, Yousuf Rasheed was killed in Kabul on Wednesday.
https://www.khaama.com/target-killing-threatens-peace-process-creates-fear-556677/
