Jabihullah Mujahid explained that Professor Faisalullah Jalal had been detained by the secret service, accusing the professor of “making nonsensical comments on social media, inciting people against the government and playing with the dignity of the people”.
The Taliban seized control of Afghanistan last August, shortly before the US-led coup on August 31 after nearly 20 years of war. From 1996 to 2001, Islamist militants seized power.
On Twitter, Jalal’s daughter Hasina begged Jalal to release her father. “In order to confirm the sensational news, I request the immediate release of my father, Professor Faisalullah Jalal,” he wrote.
Afghanistan faces a humanitarian crisis, with the United Nations warning that 90% of the country’s 38 million people are in dire need.
Dolo TV, a frequent commentator on Faisal Jalal, Afghanistan’s largest station, tweeted that Jalal had been “arrested on charges against government departments”, a security source said.
The government has no official answer to questions about Jalal’s detention.
Jalal is the husband of one of the country’s first female presidential candidates, Bill Jalal, who ran against former President Hamid Karzai in 2004.