Taliban intelligence forces have detained several protesters in Mazar-e-Sharif after demonstrations erupted over the planned demolition of shops, sources told Afghanistan International.
Witnesses said the arrests began when Taliban forces detained Dawood Kalantar, a shopkeeper who joined Tuesday’s protest. Other shopkeepers who went to inquire about him were also taken into custody.
Residents said the protest broke out after Taliban officials attempted to demolish stores in the city’s auction market. Shopkeepers resisted, arguing that the Taliban had collected taxes from the same businesses for years but were now seeking to destroy them without notice.
Several shopkeepers said the properties have been in their families for more than four decades and demanded that the Taliban provide alternative business sites before carrying out demolitions. They warned that hundreds of families would lose their livelihoods if the shops were destroyed.
Haji Zaid, spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Balkh, said the demolition was ordered under a decision by Taliban authorities in Kabul, which had contracted the land to be redeveloped into a commercial market. He said local officials were holding talks with the protesters to address their concerns.
