A traditional council of elders in Afghanistan has told a former lawmaker to pay an Afghan minister $300,000 along with a sheep to compensate for an alleged slap in the face.
Haji Din Mohammad, tribal leader and deputy chief of the country's High Peace Council, confirmed that the council had imposed the fine.
In September, the minister of Hajj and religious affairs, Abdul Hakim Munib, accused ex-lawmaker Mullah Tarakhel Mohammadi of insulting and physically attacking him inside the presidential palace mosque where they both attended a Friday prayer, the German News Agency reported.
The minister claimed that he was physically attacked but the mullah said it was just a verbal clash.
Munib called on President Ashraf Ghani to investigate the incident, but Mohammadi, who enjoys significant power, refused to appear before the prosecution, according to local media.
Mohammadi was an MP for two parliamentary terms. But, during the parliamentary elections that took place in 2019, an electoral commission refused to include his name on the lists of candidates due to complaints accusing him of seizing land.
Din Muhammad said the two men agreed on the settlement, and that Munib took only a small sum of the money from Mohammadi and donated it to charities.
If Munib rejects the money, this indicates he rejects the ruling of the council of elders and that he will seek revenge in the future, Din Muhammad explained.
Pictures posted on the Ministry's Facebook page showed Mullah Tarakhel wrapping Munib's turban as a sign of appreciation and respect during the reconciliation session that was held in Kabul.
