Karzai condemns Haleem’s killing

KABUL and auqaf director by unknown gunmen.

Abul Haleem, the provincial head of the Department of Hajj and Religious Affairs, was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Kandahar City, the provincial capital, while walking home. Police Chief Brig. Gen. Abdul Raziq told Pajhwok Afghan News that gunmen mounted on motorcycles opened fire on him in the Chawni area at around 1:30 pm.

The attackers managed to flee but police were searching for them. Haleem was the second Hajj and Religious Affairs director to be killed in the province.

President Karzai blamed the opposition forces, a reference to armed militants, for killing the official, saying killing religious scholars was an inhuman and un-Islamic act.

“It is an unforgiveable act on the part of enemies of Afghanistan,” Karzai said in a statement from his office.

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