Allegations of widespread corruption have surfaced against Hazrat Ali, the secretary to the Taliban's governor for Balkh province, Mohammad Yousuf Wafa, based on purported WhatsApp screenshots.
The images, which are circulating on social media, allegedly show Hazrat Ali acting as a oker, taking thousands of dollars in ibes to resolve people's cases within Balkh's courts, police districts, and intelligence directorate.
The allegations claim that he specifically intervenes in land disputes and other legal cases. In one particular case detailed in the screenshots, he is said to have demanded ten thousand US dollars from one party to a dispute in order to settle the matter in their favor.
If their authenticity is confirmed, these documents could serve as evidence of administrative corruption within the Taliban's governing structure, an issue the group has consistently claimed to be fighting against.
So far, neither local Taliban officials in Balkh nor the group's central spokespersons have officially responded to these allegations. The authenticity of the circulating screenshots cannot be independently verified at this time.
Numerous reports and claims of corruption, extortion, and abuse of power by Taliban-affiliated individuals have been published previously from various parts of Afghanistan. These allegations challenge the credibility of the Taliban's claims to have eradicated corruption.
Source: Social media reports
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