Teacher Arrested in Panjshir After Sharing Photos of School Arson by Taliban

Local sources in Afghanistan’s Panjshir province report that the Taliban have arrested Abdul Basir Sangi, a schoolteacher and head of youth affairs in Abshar district.

According to these sources, Sangi was detained on Wednesday, November 25, in the Sangi Khan area of Abshar district. His arrest reportedly followed the publication of images on social media showing parts of a school set on fire, allegedly by Taliban members.

Local reports indicate that about a week ago, the Taliban mysteriously set fire to sections of a school in the Parangal area of Abshar district. Following the online dissemination of images depicting the incident, the Taliban’s security command in Panjshir targeted and detained Sangi.

This is not the first instance of Taliban hostility toward educational institutions in the province. In recent years, the Taliban administration has allegedly burned down several schools in Panjshir, including the Bibi Hawa Girls’ High School in the provincial capital, Mirza Abdul Ghafoor Yaqoubi High School in Paryan district, and Dasht-e-Riwat Girls’ High School in the first part of the province.

Such continued actions by the Taliban not only pose a threat to the education system but also severely impact the mental well-being of teachers and students. Local residents and civil society activists have strongly condemned these tactics and are calling for an end to the climate of fear and reprisals against civilians.