Local sources in Balkh province say Muhammad Reza Rasoul Yalaqi, a prominent and well-known figure in the province, was killed in Mazar-e-Sharif after returning from Canada. According to the sources, Mr. Yalaqi had returned to Afghanistan from Canada about two weeks ago and was killed on Friday evening, the sixth of Sunbula, in an attack by unidentified armed men.
Sources close to Mr. Yalaqi’s family said that unidentified gunmen initially entered his home in Mazar-e-Sharif and then took him out of the house with them. According to the sources, his body was found several hours later, with signs of strangulation reportedly visible on his body. No further details have so far been released about how the incident occurred.
Muhammad Reza Rasoul Yalaqi was a resident of Toronto, Canada. According to information from sources close to his family, he had returned to Afghanistan to attend to several family matters. He was the son of Haji Ghulam Rasoul Khan Yalaqi, a well-known businessman in northern Afghanistan, and held a prominent social standing among the notable families of Balkh province.
The Yalaqi family is regarded as one of the prominent economic and socially influential families in Balkh and has also played a role in the establishment and management of the well-known “Boot Aho” factory. Muhammad Reza Rasoul Yalaqi was also the nephew of Ghulam Mohammad Yalaqi, a prominent businessman and politician from Balkh province.
Ghulam Mohammad Yalaqi held several government positions under previous Afghan administrations, including Minister of Commerce and an adviser to the presidency. As a result, news of Muhammad Reza Rasoul Yalaqi’s killing has drawn reactions from a number of political and social figures in Balkh.
Mohammad Mohaqiq, leader of the Islamic Unity Party of the People of Afghanistan, also issued a statement in response to the incident, describing Mr. Yalaqi’s killing as a “terrorist incident” and expressing sorrow over his death. In his statement, Mr. Mohaqiq said he had learned with deep regret of the killing of Muhammad Reza Rasoul Yalaqi, whom he described as an influential figure in Balkh province.
Several days after the incident, the identities of the armed men and their motive for killing Muhammad Reza Rasoul Yalaqi remain unclear. Taliban authorities have also yet to provide details or issue an official statement regarding the incident, and it remains unclear whether an investigation into the case has been launched.
In recent days, there have also been reports of several Afghan citizens being killed by unidentified individuals in different parts of the country. Critics say the continuation of such incidents raises questions about the security situation in Afghanistan and the extent to which the Taliban have fulfilled their claims of ensuring nationwide security.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
