Taliban Intelligence Targets Former Military Personnel Amid Rising Tensions with Pakistan

Local sources in the northern and central provinces of Afghanistan report the onset of a concerning initiative by Taliban intelligence to collect information on former government military personnel. Analysts warn that the Taliban, fearing potential conflict with Pakistan, may intend to use these individuals as human shields or to prevent them from joining resistance forces.

Suspicious Calls in Northern and Central Afghanistan

Credible local sources from the northern and central provinces of Afghanistan have disclosed the emergence of a troubling new initiative by Taliban security agencies. Reports from Badakhshan, Takhar, Faryab, Ghazni, Bamyan, and Daikundi provinces indicate that the Taliban’s intelligence agencies are systematically identifying and registering the identities of soldiers and officers from the former government.

According to local residents, the Taliban have been distributing specific forms to village development councils, requesting community leaders to provide detailed information and addresses of all individuals who have previously worked in the Republic’s security institutions, ostensibly for registration to secure new employment.

The Role of Former Generals in the New Plan

Reports suggest that in the central regions of the country, this sensitive process has been directly overseen by Ghulam Ali Wahdat, who is currently a member of the High Commission for Shiites under Taliban supervision. Wahdat is a seasoned general who has served in military structures from the era of communist rule through the republican period and now within the Islamic Emirate. Critics argue that he has frequently shifted his stance with changing regimes.

Fear of War with Pakistan and the Human Shield Scenario

Military analysts and political experts believe this sudden initiative is rooted in the escalating tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan. They suggest that Taliban leaders, aware of the likelihood of wider border and proxy conflicts, are attempting to utilize trained former military personnel as tools of war.

Two main hypotheses have emerged in this context: firstly, the Taliban may intend to forcibly use these individuals at the front lines as human shields in the event of an all-out war with Pakistan. Secondly, this could be a preemptive measure to prevent these skilled military individuals from joining resistance factions that may be supported and equipped by Pakistan.

Absolute Distrust and History of Assassination

These measures come amid numerous reports over the past year of targeted assassinations, arbitrary detentions, and torture of former military personnel in Kabul and northern provinces.

Two former soldiers still residing in the country described this plan as alarming and a dangerous trap. They reflected on their bitter experiences of past collaborations, stating: “Taliban fighters previously labeled us as untrustworthy, filthy, and mercenaries, sidelining us from our duties. Now that they have no budget to even feed their own troops, how can they sincerely seek to employ us?”

The intensification of these movements has created a wave of panic among the families of former military personnel, heightening fears of possible collective disappearances or misuse of this vulnerable group by the authorities.