Taliban announced that their delegation met on Tuesday with scholars and tribal leaders from the Argu and Darayim districts in Faizabad, the center of Badakhshan province, claiming to have resolved a dispute that Taliban spokesman says centered around poppy eradication efforts in the region.
Sources said on Tuesday that 35 protesters from Argu and some from Darayim were “forcibly” brought to Faizabad for discussions with Fasihuddin Fitrat, the head of the Taliban delegation and Taliban’s army chief. However, Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesperson, stated that the issue has now been resolved.
Mujahid added that the residents of Badakhshan have pledged to support the eradication efforts.
He also mentioned that the concerns of those affected by recent protests in Argu and Darayim would be addressed.
According to sources, tribal elders and protest representatives were among those transferred to Faizabad by the Taliban.
During these protests, a man named Nizamuddin in Darayim and a newlywed named Abdul Basit in Argu were killed by Taliban forces, with 15 others injured, sources confirmed.
Previously, protesters had demanded in a resolution that the Taliban hand over the “murderers” of these two men to the people. The resolution also stated that Taliban members who do not speak the local language should be expelled from Badakhshan.
Taliban officials have consistently stated that the protests erupted after their forces attempted to destroy poppy fields, facing local opposition. However, some political figures, human rights activists, and political movements within the country argue that these protests reflect the people’s growing distance from the Taliban, which they attribute to the prevailing despotism in the country.
