RASC News Agency: Local sources from Panjshir Province have reported the detention of a resident named Agha Shirin by the Taliban group, indicating that for his release, the Taliban are demanding “one million kabuli rupees” and five rifles. Sources informed the media on Monday, Feb 5, that Agha Shirin is a prominent resident of Pawat village in the Khinj District of Panjshir Province, and the Taliban detained him on Saturday of the current week.
Although Agha Shirin is not a former military personnel, according to sources, he has been imprisoned by the Taliban’s second brigade commander in Panjshir, identified as Agha Jan Kandahari, at Central Prison Camp 313. This Taliban commander has requested money and weapons from his family for his release. The detention of Panjshir residents by the Taliban is not a new issue, as the group has previously detained, tortured, and in some cases, killed residents of this province on charges of “membership in anti-Taliban fronts.”
After reasserting control over the country, the Taliban have deployed a significant number of troops and military equipment to Panjshir to exert more control over this province. Despite claiming full control over Panjshir, the Taliban fear intensified armed resistance and insurgency in the province against them. It is worth mentioning that the Taliban group has been accused of severe suppression and suffocation of Afghanistani citizens over the past two years, making it challenging for citizens to protest against the Taliban’s actions. Any form of dissent against this group carries the risk of detention.
