Residents of several provinces across Afghanistan say that the Taliban have arrested and detained numerous people over the past two days for failing to display the Taliban flag on shops and vehicles.
Local sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, say Taliban security and police forces are using coercion and intimidation to force people to display the flag, while attempting to portray the practice as a voluntary act by the public.
According to the sources, shopkeepers, drivers, and rickshaw operators who refuse to display the Taliban flag on their shops or personal vehicles face humiliation, harassment, and threats of arrest.
They further claim that in some areas, failure to display the flag has resulted in arrests and detention. However, the Taliban have not yet issued an official response to these allegations.
Since the Taliban returned to power, restrictions on the national flag and other national symbols, as well as efforts to promote the use of the Taliban flag, have remained among the key issues in Afghanistan’s political and social discourse.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
