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Taliban Detains Former Advisor to Abdullah Abdullah and His Son in Kapisa

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban agents have detained Ghulam Dastgir Seddiqi, a former advisor to Dr. Abdullah Abdullah, the ex-chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, along with his son, according to local sources.

The two men were reportedly arrested from their home in northeastern Kapisa province on Saturday evening, January 18.

Seddiqi, who served as an advisor to Abdullah until the collapse of the republic government, was also a prominent political supporter of Abdullah in the region, the sources said.

The reasons behind the detention of Seddiqi and his son remain unclear, with no official comment from local Taliban authorities. However, sources indicated that Seddiqi had been leading a normal life since the Taliban’s return to power and had not engaged in any political and armed activities.

This incident follows the recent arrest of Abdullah’s former bodyguard, Mujib, and his brother, Najuddin, in Panjshir province.

Since the Taliban’s return to power, the group, despite its declared general amnesty, has been responsible for detaining, torturing, and, in some cases, killing dozens of individuals, particularly in Panjshir, Kapisa, Kabul, and neighboring provinces. In most instances, the regime accuses those detained of collaborating with armed resistance groups or possessing weapons.

UN experts and human rights groups have raised concerns over the Taliban’s ongoing arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, and acts of revenge killings, urging the regime to honor their declared “general amnesty” and cease such practices.