International rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged major donors to impose sanctions on Afghanistan's newly appointed acting defence minister over alleged war crimes and human rights abuses. President Ashraf Ghani's decision last month to appoint the fiercely anti-Taliban Asadullah Khalid prompted an outcry from human rights organisations which accuse him of being involved in assassinations, torture and illicit drug business while serving as governor of Ghazni and later of southern Kandahar in 2005 and 2008.

"Credible evidence of serious human rights abuses and war crimes linked to Khalid have followed him throughout his government career," Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report published on Saturday.

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