Taliban Urges Local Police in Panjshir to Buy Their Own Weapons
According to local sources, the Taliban administration in Afghanistan’s Panjshir province has refused to distribute weapons to newly recruited local police personnel, instructing them instead to purchase arms at their own expense. This decision has sparked concern and backlash among the locally recruited forces operating within the Taliban’s police structure.
As reported by the newspaper Etilaat Roz, some of these recruits — who joined the Taliban police around six months ago — claim they have yet to be provided with any weapons. They added that their commander has explicitly warned that failure to procure their own weapons could lead to their dismissal.
Local sources also state that the Taliban police command in Panjshir has directly told these local forces to personally acquire weapons and use them during security operations. However, due to shortages in the weapons market and inflated prices, many are reportedly unable to afford the necessary arms.
Sources allege that more than ten individuals have already been dismissed for failing to obtain weapons. They further report that some Taliban members are selling weapons — previously confiscated from civilians — at steep prices in local markets, exacerbating the crisis.
This situation underscores significant deficiencies and disorganization within the Taliban’s security apparatus, highlighting the group’s neglect of the welfare and provisioning of its local forces — a development that could have serious security implications for Panjshir province and beyond.
