Local sources in Panjshir province report that the Taliban has ordered the evacuation of four villages to settle families of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU).
Residents of Alok, Istaycha, Espiana, and Dashtak, as well as the local university, have been told to leave their properties to make way for the newcomers.
While the Taliban claim the university site is needed for other purposes, locals fear this is a cover for militarizing the region and altering its demographic makeup.
Sources allege that relocating these families from Baghlan is part of a broader strategy to harbor foreign fighter networks within the strategic valley.
The move has sparked alarm regarding the potential presence of international terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda in Panjshir. Observers warn that turning these villages into settlements for foreign militants poses a significant security threat not just to the local population, but to the stability of the entire region.
