Kabul shopkeepers: The Taliban sold their flag to us by force.
A number of shopkeepers in Kabul’s Koti Sangi say that on the fourth anniversary of their rule, the Taliban sold the group’s flags without their consent and by force.
In an interview with some media outlets, these shopkeepers emphasized that: The Taliban sold their flag to us by force and no one was allowed to object and the Taliban agents imposed their flags by threat and pressure.
This Taliban action is not limited to Kabul. Previously, reports had also been published from Paktika, Logar and Faryab that children and schoolchildren were forcibly taken to Taliban ceremonies.
The Taliban celebrate Asad 24 every year as their “Victory Day,” but this year the group has refused to hold a military parade at Bagram after former US President Donald Trump objected to the display of US military equipment in Taliban hands.
Imposing flags, forcing children to participate in ceremonies and confiscating public symbols are part of the Taliban’s policy of consolidating power, a policy that critics say relies more on force than on popular consent.
