The Taliban's Ministry of Justice has announced that 22 residential townships in the center and districts of Balkh province have been identified as "Emirate" or state property. The total area of this land is estimated to be around 85,000 jeribs.
This action is part of the Taliban government's ongoing efforts to identify and reclaim land that it considers to be usurped or state-owned. The Commission for the Prevention of Land Grabbing and Restitution of Usurped Lands is responsible for carrying out this process.
In addition, the special court handling land usurpation cases in the northern zone has issued another ruling. According to this decision, approximately 250 jeribs of land located in the eighth district of Mazar-e-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, have also been declared "Emirate" property.
The court has ordered the current owners of these lands to surrender their properties to the relevant commission. These decisions have caused widespread concern among residents and landowners in these areas.
Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, the group has launched extensive efforts to reclaim state lands across Afghanistan. This process is being pursued vigorously in various provinces, including Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, and Balkh.
While the Taliban claim their goal is to combat corruption and restore public assets, critics and some citizens have expressed concerns about a lack of transparency, the absence of a fair legal process, and the potential for the process to be used for settling personal and ethnic scores.
Many of these lands have customary ownership documents or titles issued under previous governments, but the Taliban administration has questioned the validity of these documents. This issue has created significant social and legal tensions in the country.
Source: Taliban Ministry of Justice
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