RASC News Agency: Multiple shopkeepers in Taleqan, the capital of Takhar province, have reported that the Taliban have ordered them to display the group’s flag on their shops and marketplaces. On Tuesday, August 13, these shopkeepers informed the media that officials from the Taliban’s Directorate of Information and Culture, along with the local municipality, have distributed flags throughout various districts and neighborhoods of Taluqan.
The shopkeepers further disclosed that the Taliban have issued stern warnings, stating that any failure to comply with the directive will result in the closure of their shops and potential imprisonment. This directive coincides with the upcoming third anniversary of the Taliban’s return to power, but it is not an isolated incident. Similar orders were previously issued in Khost province, where the Taliban demanded that shopkeepers display the group’s white flag to mark the third anniversary of the republic’s fall, under the threat of punishment for non-compliance.
It is important to note that August 15 marks the day the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan through an agreement with the United States, leading to the former President’s flight from the country. While many citizens view this day as a dark chapter in the nation’s history, the Taliban have declared it a public holiday, celebrating their return to power. Over the past three years of Taliban rule, the group has imposed increasingly severe restrictions on the daily lives of the Afghanistani people and has been widely condemned for gross human rights violations.
