Some residents of Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand Province, say that the Taliban imprison people who fail to pay “ushr” until they make the payment.
Sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily on Wednesday, September 9, that the Taliban have hired individuals to collect ushr and, instead of paying them salaries, give them a percentage of the goods they collect.
According to the information, the Taliban are currently collecting Ushr in the province on grains, fruits, and all agricultural products that have yielded a harvest.
Meanwhile, a resident of Lashkar Gah says that a delegation from the Taliban’s Ushr and Zakat Collection Department of the Directorate of Agriculture and Livestock, accompanied by armed men, visits farmers and demands ushr from them.
The resident adds that anyone who refuses to comply with the Taliban’s demand is arrested and imprisoned until they pay the ushr.
This comes as, beyond Helmand, departments known as “Ushr and Zakat” have been established within the Taliban’s directorates of agriculture and livestock across the country.
