Afghanistan: Professor arrested for criticizing Taliban released

A prominent university lecturer, Faizaullah Jalal, who was detained by the Taliban for criticizing its rule, was released on Tuesday.

A prominent university lecturer, Faizaullah Jalal, who was detained by the Taliban for criticizing its rule, was released on Tuesday. The daughter of the professor and political analyst Jalal said that her father was released on Tuesday after four days in detention, reported The Khaama Press.

Hasina Jalal in a voice clip confirmed the release and thanked all those who did their part in the release of her father from detention. "My father-Faizullah Jalal got released from Taliban's detention. I thank all Afghan people, the International Community, and the media that did their part in getting his release," said the voice clip, reported The Khaama Press.

The lecturer was arrested by the Taliban on Saturday and he was in detention for four days. Jalal, a longtime professor of law and political science at Kabul University, has made several appearances on television talk shows since the US-backed government was pushed out in August last year, blaming the Taliban for the worsening financial crisis and criticizing them for ruling by force, according to Al Jazeera.

Spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Zabiullah Mujahid had said that he was provoking people against the system and had disrespected officials of the Taliban, reported The Khaama Press. Jalal's wife Massouda, who had run against former President Hamid Karzai in 2004 as Afghanistan's first woman candidate for the presidency, posted on Facebook that her husband had been arrested by Taliban forces and detained in an unknown location, according to Al Jazeera.

Common people had mixed reactions to the detention of Jalal. On social media, some had asked for his immediate release while others praised the detention as he had called Durand Line as the official border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, reported The Khaama Press. 

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