Around 40 residents of Panjshir province have been arrested, provincial officials said, adding that an investigation is underway.

A spokesman for the Panjshir governor, Abubakar Sediqqi, said that an investigation is underway and that the individuals will be released soon.  

“The reports that we have are that some individuals were arrested by the Islamic Emirate’s forces due to a misunderstanding…The council of Islamic scholars in Panjshir and provincial officials are attempting to investigate the issue and determine why these individuals were arrested,” he said.  

Several reports have been recently published which allege the arrest of residents of Panjshir. The video being circulated on social media also shows the detention of some people in the province.  

“They asked the people to distribute the aid of UN. When the people came to receive the aid, they were arrested and taken to prison,” said a resident of Panjshir.  

Meanwhile, military analysts said that the detention of civilians will have negative consequences.  

“If the Taliban do this and disturb the people and beat them and detain them because they are relatives to the people who are fighting (against them), this is not a wise act,” said Aziz Stanikzai, a former military official.  

“The arbitrary detention of people and groups of people by the Islamic Emirate’s forces at the current situation has no logic but to spread fear and anxiety in the society,” said Hekmatullah Meerzad, a university instructor. 

Earlier, there were reports of civilians being tortured but the Islamic Emirate denied it.