RASC News Agency: Local sources from Takhar report that the Taliban have arrested at least 30 residents of the province on charges of “violating pistachio harvesting rules,” following a severe beating. The sources indicate that these individuals were apprehended late on Wednesday, July 31, in the Farkhar district of Takhar province after being brutally beaten.
The individuals were accused of violating pistachio harvesting rules, despite their claims of having no involvement in such activities. According to the sources, a group of residents had gathered following rumors of pistachio harvesting. However, the Taliban dispersed them through violent means, leading to their arrest. The sources added that during the clash between the Taliban and local residents over pistachio harvesting, five residents, including the district’s forestry manager, were injured.
The Taliban in Takhar have not commented on the incident. Previously, the Taliban had warned the residents of Takhar that any pistachio harvesting before an official announcement would result in imprisonment and confiscation of the harvested pistachios. Similar incidents have occurred in Herat and Ghor provinces, where the Taliban have also arrested and beaten people over pistachio harvesting.
The Taliban consider the income from pistachios as their own, claiming it is the “fruit of their jihad.” They argue that they fought the war, and thus the profits belong to them. The group uses the forests and pistachio trees, even resorting to violence against locals to collect the pistachios. The Taliban have repeatedly warned locals to stay away from the pistachio forests, asserting their exclusive right to harvest the pistachios.
