Kabul: Taliban arrests journalists as protesters chant 'death to Pakistan'
The Taliban on Tuesday fired shots to disperse a rally in Kabul against Pakistan and its intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The rally, which included mostly women, had gathered near the Presidential Palace in Kabul and was approaching the Kabul Serena Hotel, where the ISI chief Lieutenant General Faiz Hameed has been staying since last week. Here are more details.
Protesters chanted 'death to Pakistan,' 'death to ISI'
Thousands took to the streets in Afghanistan's Kabul to protest against Pakistan, the ISI, and the Taliban. The protesters reportedly held placards and chanted slogans of "azadi (freedom)" and "death to Pakistan" and "death to ISI." In a video uploaded online, a protester is heard saying, "No one has the right to invade Panjshir, neither Pakistan nor Taliban."
Journalists, cameraperson arrested by Taliban: Report
Reportedly, women have been holding protests in Kabul to demand equal rights and criticize the Taliban's rule. On Tuesday, men also joined the protest. They blamed Pakistan for allegedly backing the Taliban's return to power. As the protests intensified, the Taliban fired warning shots to disperse the crowd. TOLOnews reported that its cameraperson was arrested along with other journalists.
ISI chief met Taliban's de-facto leader yesterday
ISI's Hameed had visited Kabul on Saturday. The Taliban said on Monday that Hameed met the former's de-facto leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. The Taliban has previously called Pakistan its "second home" while a group spokesperson told India Today TV recently that Pakistan is extremely important for its regime. The spokesperson had also said that Pakistan is home to several of the Taliban's members.
'We are custodians of Taliban leaders,' Pakistan minister said recently
Pakistani minister Sheikh Rashid recently said, "We are the custodians of Taliban leaders. We have taken care of them for long. They got shelter, education, and a home in Pakistan. We have done everything for them."
Taliban says it completely captured Panjshir
Meanwhile, the Taliban on Monday claimed to have completely captured the Panjshir Valley, the last holdout from where the National Resistance Front had put up a revolt against the Taliban. They also announced that the chief commander of the resistance forces, Saleh Mohammed, had been killed in the clashes between the two groups. Earlier, National Resistance Front spokesperson Fahim Dashti had been killed.
