Taliban seeking protection money from telecom companies for night services in Afghanistan
March 6th, 2008 - 4:27 pm ICT by adminPeshawar, Mar 6 (ANI): In a bid to extort money from the telecom companies based in Afghanistan, Taliban leaders and stalwarts from Afghanistan have asked them to halt their services at night because, they allege, they were involved in spying activities for the US-led allies.
In a bid to force these companies to pay them “protection money”, the Taliban have even uprooted four towers of telecommunication companies in Helmand and Qandahar provinces, The Nation quoted highly placed sources in Afghanistan as saying.
Telecom companies like Etesalaat, UAE, Roshan, Afghan Wireless, Afghan Telecom and other companies have established a telephonic network all over Afghanistan and around four million people are using their services.
According to some Afghan analysts, soon after the collapse of Taliban, the representatives of several firms had made agreement with Taliban leaders for the installation of towers at their controlled areas in return of attractive incentives. “And, now the Afghans believe that these Taliban intend to mint money from the remaining firms,” they say.
The Taliban who have directed to halt mobile telephone network at night, said: “These telecommunication companies are engaged in spying for the US-led allies.”
In a statement, the Taliban spokesman Qari Yousaf Ahmadi said that the US forces are chasing the militants through these networks, the Afghan sources informed and said that it is the main doubt due to which the Taliban are pressurising the high-ups of these companies to follow their dictations. (ANI)
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