Afghanistan: Social media campaign calls for release of popular Taliban opponent

Calls are growing on social media for the release of a prominent police chief who is suspected of being captured by the Taliban.

Afghans have taken to social media to call for the release of a prominent police chief who they claim has been captured and tortured by the Taliban just days after they overtook the nation.

Colonel Lutfullah Kamran, chief of security at the Patkia Police Headquarters, has not been seen since the takeover, with members of the Afghanistan military and civilians both believing he is in Taliban custody.

In so far unverified reports, a photo of a man with bruises all over his back is being shared next to a photo of Colonel Kamran, claiming he is the man in both photographs and that he had been beaten by members of the Taliban.

“Lutfullah Kamran, the police chief of Laghman Province, was severely beaten by the Taliban,” one Afghan national wrote on Facebook next to the photos.

“The Taliban had announced a general amnesty, but such brave people are still being tortured. He should be released immediately.”

Well-known police commander and supporter of NATO troops in Afghanistan, Colonel Lutfullah Kamran has allegedly disappeared, along with some other police officers and politicians who supported the coalition forces. Civilians and Afghan military members believing Colonel Kamran has been captured and tortured by the Taliban in so far unconfirmed reports. Picture: Supplied

Another Afghan wrote others who had helped coalition forces fight against the Taliban had also been captured.

“The Taliban have not yet released anti-Pakistan figures such as Laghman police chief Lutfullah Kamran and Kandahar’s subdistrict police chief Hashim Regwal, and have released other killers, such as Qaisari and others, to pardon and secure them,” he wrote.
A man, who claimed he was a pilot in the Afghan air force and did not want to be identified, alleged Col Kamran was taken when Taliban soldiers took control of the capital of Laghman province, northeast of Kabul, on August 14.
“This commander of chief was always against Pakistan, as the Talibans are controlled by Pakistani so they captured Laghman city and they took Lutfullah Kamran with them,” he said.

“Since then he has been missing.”

Afghans are sharing this unverified photo over all social media claiming the photo is of the allegedly missing Colonel Kamran, who has fought against the Taliban for years. Picture: Supplied

Another resident said he hoped Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid would keep to his word about a public pardon and not hurting anyone.

“Lotfollah Kamran, the security commander of Laghman province, who always responded to teeth-breaking attacks on Taliban, after Laghman’s capture by Taliban, is now tortured by Taliban,” he wrote.

“Publish it so that Zabihullah Mujahid reaches the hearing that he said last night in the conference that we announced a public pardon and we will not hurt anyone.”

An announcement on the Taliban’s website states an order had been made to release political prisoners.

“The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Emirate, Sheikh Al-Hadith Hibaullah Akhundzada (Hafizullah) has ordered the release of political prisoners from all prisons in the country,” it states.

“The governors of the provinces will release all the lower and upper castes who are in the country’s prisons as political prisoners unconditionally and hand them over to their families from tomorrow.”

The Taliban's special forces team, the 313 Badri Battalion, in Kabul. Picture: Supplied

In one of his last two Facebook posts on August 9, Colonel Kamran wrote he would fight.

“We will fight with the army of ignorance with pride and bravery,” the translated version of his post said.

“Let’s put an end to this forty-year disaster. … The history makers are burning their history. The armies of killing are now running Hibatullah.

“…Our cities are burning. But this Arman will take Hibatullah and his bosses to his grave.”

Although it has not yet been independently confirmed if Colonel Kamran has been captured or if he is in hiding – like many of the other members of the Afghan military that worked alongside the US-led coalition forces – several other Afghans took to social media to question the whereabouts of the officer or to call for his release.

On Twitter, a person with the handle Paktiawal wrote the Colonel Kamran needed to be returned home.

“Lutfullah Kamran, who handed over Laghman to the Taliban in a peaceful atmosphere like other provinces, has not yet returned home,” he wrote.

“If a general amnesty has been announced, we must speak out Kamran should be taken home safely as soon as possible.”

In his last Facebook posts on August 9, well-known province commander and supporter of NATO troops in Afghanistan, Colonel Lutfullah Kamran wrote that he would continue to fight the Taliban. Picture: Supplied

Abdulwali tweeted that “Lutfullah Kamran should be released without any conditions.”

“The Taliban has announced a general amnesty, so we can call on all sections of the eastern zone that Lutfullah Kamran has made a great sacrifice for you,” he wrote.

“Now you are also proud of him, thanks.”

Taliban spokesmen have been contacted for comment but are yet to respond.

The Taliban, a fundamentalist group that ruled Afghanistan for five years before the US-led military forces ousted them in 2001 following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America.

As the US, Australia and other coalition forces withdrew their troops after trying to help the Afghans for 20 years, Taliban soldiers, who had taken over most major cities last week, took over the capital, Kabul, on Sunday

Since then, many civilians and Afghanistan military personnel who were in support of the western forces have fled or are in hiding and trying to escape the country.