Mawlawi Abdul Malik former deputy head of Panjshir province’s council of religious scholars has been hospitalised in Rokha district after his health reportedly deteriorated during Taliban custody, local sources said Tuesday.
Taliban forces arrested Abdul Malik on July 8 at a mosque in Kabul’s 15th police district and transferred him to an undisclosed location. His family was initially unaware of his whereabouts or the authority responsible for his detention. It was later confirmed that he had been moved from Kabul to Panjshir.
Sources close to Abdul Malik said his physical and mental condition had worsened following two weeks in detention, during which he was allegedly subjected to torture.
This marks the second time the Taliban have detained Abdul Malik. In 2022, he was arrested over alleged links to the anti-Taliban resistance front and was held for nearly two years before being released. His relatives have denied any connection to resistance forces.
Abdul Malik is known as one of Panjshir’s most respected religious figures. He served for years as deputy head of the provincial religious council and headed two Islamic seminaries, Mawlawi Abdul Wahid and Bibi Aisha Siddiqa, in Abdullahkhel village, Dara district.
Since regaining control of Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have arrested thousands of individuals across the country on suspicion of supporting or participating in armed resistance movements.
