Taliban release rapist official

Islamabad, Sept 21 (IRNA) -- Taliban have released one of their government officials 'who is accused in countless cases of rape,' a Pakistani daily reported on Thursday. Daily, "The Frontier Post" quoted 'credible sources' as saying that Mulla Akhtar Mohammad alias "Dettol" spent three months in different interrogation centers 'but due to his proximity with ruling circles, he managed to avoid trials.'

Taliban have sentenced a number of rapists to Islamic punishment during the last several years. The report said "Mulla Dettol" was a Director in the Afghan Health Ministry and he used to blackmail and sexually harass his female subordinates. "According to a close relative of one of the victims, who confided to the 'Frontier Post' he (the Mulla) used to sexually harass and abuse his female subordinates.

To force the female staff to bow to his demands, he used to terminate and suspend their services or blackmail them to do the needful," the paper said. It said a Directress of a women hospital in Kabul is among the victims. Just last week, police in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad said they received a complaint of sexual assault on a teenager Pakistani boy by a Taliban commander, Mulla Sirajuddin, presently staying in Islamabad.