10 members of Hizb ut-Tahrir (UT) were arrested by the Taliban in Kapisa province. Hizb ut-Tahrir, abbreviated as HT, is an international pan-Islamist and fundamentalist political movement, seeking to re-establish a pure Islamic caliphate that would unite the Muslim communities worldwide into a single state that implements sharia law.
On Friday, January 27, sources confirmed to Hasht-e Subh, saying that the Taliban arrested HT elements nine days ago in Nawabad village on the outskirts of Kapisa’s capital city, and no specifics were immediately available on their conditions and whereabouts.
According to sources, these HT members were arrested and imprisoned when they gathered to attend a party meeting.
The Taliban and HT have not officially expressed an opinion in this regard as of yet.
UT has been accused of providing facilities for al-Qaeda and ISIS in central-south-western Asian countries and has been banned in Bangladesh, China, Germany, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, and all Arab countries except Lebanon, Yemen and the UAE. The extremist group also operates in western countries, including the UK and Australia.
The former government of Afghanistan also banned it from operating in the country due to its affiliation with the Islamic State of Khurasan Province (ISKP) and suspicious activities.
HT members were welcomed and supported by the Taliban in Afghanistan, in particular in Kapisa, immediately after the extremists’ rise to power. But a few months later, after some facilitators and top members of Hizb ut-Tahrir, Jamiat-e Islah and Najm groups were assassinated and some fled Afghanistan, the Taliban announced a ban on their activities.
