Kerala vlogger says Afghanistan authorities threatened arrest

A Kerala travel vlogger who earlier claimed she was arrested by the 'Mujahideen' in Afghanistan has clarified that local authorities in Bamyan threatened to arrest her for travelling alone. The vlogger, who runs the Backpacker Arunima page, said she was questioned after reaching Bamyan at 7 pm and told she had violated a law requiring women to travel with a male companion or guide. She said she had been denied a permit in Jalalabad for the same reason.

The vlogger said she contacted a man who had helped her reach Bamyan, and he spoke to the authorities on her behalf. She was eventually allowed to proceed after agreeing to obtain a permit and travel with a guide. She plans to travel 500 km to the Uzbekistan border and expects checkpoints along the way. In an earlier post, she had shared a translation of an official communication that said she was arrested by the 'Mujahideen' and sought help to contact the Indian embassy.

Hindustan Times, Times Now and PTI said they could not independently verify her claims. There was no reaction from the Afghanistan government at the time of reporting.