Taliban Shut Down Mahtasam Aghajan School in Kandahar
Sources in Kandahar say Taliban intelligence forces raided a school linked to Mahtasam Aghajan in the Aino Mena township on Sunday, detained several people and shut down the school’s activities.
No details have yet been made public about the reason for the move or the identities of those detained. Taliban officials have also so far said nothing about the incident.
During the first Taliban rule, Mahtasam Aghajan was finance minister and chief of staff to Mullah Mohammad Omar, the Taliban’s founder. He is regarded as an influential figure in the movement in Kandahar and is also considered close to Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, the Taliban administration’s acting defence minister.
This is not the first time pressure on him has been reported. Taliban intelligence forces also detained Mahtasam Aghajan in Kandahar in the month of Hamal this year, but he was released several days later.
The reported increase in pressure on Mahtasam Aghajan comes as he returned to Afghanistan from the United Arab Emirates about four years ago with the guarantee of Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob. Aino Mena township is one of the well-known areas of Kandahar city, a province that is considered one of the main centres of influence for Taliban leaders.
