Afghanistan: Detained Uzbek commander of Taliban accused of abduction brought to Kabul

Detained Uzbek commander of the Taliban, Makhdoom Alam, was brought to Kabul on Sunday after he was arrested by Afghanistan’s intelligence team last week. According to Tolo News, Alam, who was based in Faryab province, is accused of abduction and his case is now being investigated. He was held in the northern Balkh province on Thursday, which triggered a furious demonstration in his birthplace, Faryab.   

"The person who was arrested ... is still detained by the security forces. The investigation is underway to find out the status of the case," said Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for the Afghan Taliban government. 

Alam was involved in kidnapping. His arrest had sparked widespread demonstrations by residents in Maimana, Faryab's provincial capital. According to reports, the demonstrators said that Alam, who is an Uzbek commander, is arrested on an ethnic basis. The protesters accused the Afghan Taliban government of ethnic discrimination against the Uzbek people.   

‘Taliban have the right to arrest people accused of misdemeanour’

However, another spokesperson for the militant government, Inamullah Samangani, denied the accusation saying, “The Taliban have the right to arrest and interrogate people who are accused of a misdemeanour. Alam was asked by the local intelligence office in Balkh province and he himself went there.” He also added that people should not attribute the arrest to any specific ethnicity. 

Notably, Alam’s arrest is the first by the Taliban against their Uzbek commanders. Following his arrest, his deputy reportedly threatened that if the Taliban did not release Alam, the Taliban flag would be lowered permanently from the Faryab security command building. It is to mention that Alam is a prominent commander of the Taliban in the north of Afghanistan. He has occupied the posts of shadow provincial governor of Faryab province and the head of the military commission of the province by the Taliban during the previous Afghan government. 

(Image: Twitter/AP)