RASC News Agency: Sources from Paktia report that the Taliban executed a man in the province in the presence of Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the Haqqani network and interior minister of the group. On Wednesday, the Taliban’s Supreme Court confirmed that the execution took place in the Ghazni Stadium, located in the provincial capital of Paktia, after the man was convicted of premeditated murder. According to the court’s statement, both Sirajuddin Haqqani and Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, the Taliban’s ministers of interior and refugees, respectively, were present at the execution.
The court had previously invited local residents to gather at the stadium to witness the execution, with a strict warning against filming or taking photographs. The statement emphasized that the execution was carried out following approval from the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, and was conducted in the presence of senior officials, including Sirajuddin Haqqani and Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani.
The executed individual has been identified as Mohammad Ayaz Asad, a resident of Mirzaki district in Paktia, who was accused of killing Habibullah with a Kalashnikov rifle. According to the Taliban’s Supreme Court, the case was thoroughly reviewed by three separate courts military, primary, and appellate before the final decision was made. The statement also revealed that the victim’s family was offered the option of “forgiveness and peace,” but they insisted on the enforcement of the death penalty.
The Taliban did not provide further details on the exact process of the execution. This marks the latest in a series of executions carried out by the Taliban, with five individuals previously executed across various provinces.
