A number of residents from the Miramor district of Daykundi province claim that local Taliban officials and members of the group's technical commission have handed over state-owned lands in the Jawz Bargar market area to individuals claiming ownership. Speaking to the 8Sobh newspaper on Thursday, October 29 (7 Aqrab), these residents called for an independent investigation into the matter.
According to them, these lands, which were previously leased out as public property, have now been decided in favor of specific individuals, against the public interest. They say that decisions issued by the Taliban's technical commission in recent years have paved the way for these individuals to occupy, sell, and illegally construct on these lands.
Local sources told 8Sobh that the claimants allege the lands were granted to them during the presidency of Hamid Karzai. However, the protesting residents insist that the validity of these individuals' documents and how the legal status of the land was changed must be investigated transparently and independently.
The protesters have also called for an investigation into the role of some Taliban officials in this case. They have expressed particular concern about the role of Esmatullah Salehi, the Taliban's head of urban development in Daykundi and a member of this commission, claiming he was a car mechanic in the same market before the Taliban came to power.
Pointing to the increased wealth and construction activities of some members of the Taliban's technical commission, the Miramor residents have also demanded an investigation into their financial sources. According to sources, several members of this board have acquired significant capital in recent years, with some of them building apartment blocks.
These residents are asking the central Taliban government to carefully review the lease documents, ownership claims, and the commission's decisions, and to prevent any sale or construction in the disputed areas until the legal status of the land is clarified. This case has become an example of concerns over corruption and land grabbing under the new rule in Afghanistan.
Source: 8Sobh Newspaper
🌐
