Afghan Vice President Reacts to Accusation of Abducting Rival

The Press Office of the First Vice President of Afghanistan rejected the allegation of Dostum beating and kidnapping a political rival said, Ahmad Ischi was arrested by the security forces for funding anti-government elements.

After reports emerged by the New York Times that the Afghan Vice President General Abdul Rashid Dostum had been seen abducting a rival in a traditional game of Buzkashi, his press office rejected the allegation on Wednesday in a statement.

“The individual was arrested by the security officials after reports received by different sources for his involvement in insecurities in Jawzjan province and funding oppositions,” the statement read.

Earlier Aschi’s son speaking with a local newspaper had said that the incident was shocking for everyone and his father was taken to the general’s house after he was punched and beaten brutally.

The office of the 1st Vice President of Afghanistan implies that his detention was due to security issues.

According to the statement, strict security measures were taken by the security institutions to avoid any security concern for the inauguration of Turkmenistan – Afghanistan railway.

The statement further said,” it worth mentioning that sometimes earlier Eng. Batur Yakhshi son of Eng. Ahmad Ischi who was in charge of Aqcha district was dismissed for security concerns”.

“There was no personnel tendency by someone in this regard and we hope the media outlets pay more attention to these types of issues and instead focus on key security issues to avoid any confusion in the public,” the statement emphasized and concluded.

Reports suggest that Dostum and Ischi were born in the same place and were grown together, but they became rivals during the presidency of Mohammad Najibullah who was the president of Afghanistan between 1987 – 1992.

By: Hesamuddin Hesam