Local sources in Khost, Paktia and Paktika provinces say the Taliban have detained several orchard owners and farmers for failing to pay ushr, a religious tithe on agricultural produce.
Sources told Amu that the Taliban had warned farmers and orchard owners earlier this season that they must pay ushr after harvesting fresh or dried fruit from their farms and hillsides.
However, many orchard owners and farmers in these provinces face severe economic hardship, with some struggling to secure even a morning and evening meal, the sources said.
They added that in many areas, residents have been arrested and detained for days for failing to pay the ushr.
Continuous drought, untimely rains and flooding have destroyed much of the region’s orchards and crops, leaving people unable to meet even their most basic needs. Despite this, locals say the Taliban continue to collect ushr by force.
Under the previous government, residents in these provinces often gave a tenth of their harvest to poor families in their communities, which helped meet basic needs. Since the Taliban’s return to power, that support has been cut off for many impoverished households, sources said.
Local residents also report a recent rise in suicides in Khost, Paktika and Paktia, which they attribute to “Taliban violence, unemployment and an uncertain future.”
