KABUL: Afghanistan’s rights situation remains poor and will likely deteriorate with the departure of Nato-led forces next year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in its annual global report yesterday.

Increasing global fatigue over the 11-year war has led to reduced pressure on the government to limit the role of warlords, corrupt politicians and other rights abusers, the report said.

“The future of rights protections are in grave doubt,” HRW Asia Director Brad Adams said. “Corruption, little rule of law, poor governance and abusive policies and practices deprive the most vulnerable citizens of their rights.”

Nato’s International Security Assistance Force is gradually withdrawing its troops ahead of the end-2014 deadline for the end of the Nato-led war. In January, a UN paper said that despite global attention, torture and mistreatment of Afghans held by police and spy agencies was continuing. The HRW report expressed concern for the plight of women, and said a 2009 law to prevent violence against women remained “largely unenforced” and 2012 had seen a worrying rise in attacks on them.                         Reuters