Residents of Rawza village in Ghazni province say the Taliban have taken people’s land in the Dasht-e Talkhakzar/Dehna-e Shir area under the pretext of building a transport terminal, bypassing legal procedures and disregarding ownership documents. They say these lands have belonged to local families for centuries and have long sustained thousands of households through agriculture, daily livelihoods, and access to drinking water. Despite repeated visits to offices under Taliban control and the submission of official documents, authorities carried out no legal or impartial review. Residents now demand the immediate suspension of the project and the formation of an independent committee to examine land ownership, insisting that their property rights are legitimate and cannot be taken away.
Several residents of Rawza village, located near the historic Rawza of Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, say the Taliban seized land in the same area without following legal steps or acknowledging ownership documents. They describe the area as one of the most densely populated residential zones of Ghazni city, home to more than 5,000 people whose lives are closely tied to this land.
According to residents, these lands have supported local families for generations, serving as the backbone of farming, income, and survival. They say the Taliban took the land by force, ignoring deeds and evidence that clearly establish private ownership.
Residents of Ghazni state: “Sharia deeds, customary documents, and credible historical evidence held by the people of Rawza village clearly show that these lands are private property and have never belonged to the state under either legal or Sharia principles. Despite this, local Taliban administrations ignored all documents and began constructing a freight vehicle terminal in the area.”
They add: “The historic Bibi Mayat Mayan kareez lies within these lands and serves as the main source of drinking and irrigation water for thousands of families in Rawza village. Any seizure, alteration, or destruction of this area directly endangers people’s lives, food security, and the social fabric of the region.”
Residents emphasize that they repeatedly approached relevant offices under Taliban control, submitted formal petitions, and presented ownership documents. Yet, authorities conducted no impartial or lawful review and even blocked access to the people’s records. They say this reflects a clear violation of justice, property rights, and Sharia standards. According to them, taking people’s land under any justification, even under the name of public projects, is unacceptable and carries no legal or Sharia legitimacy. They warn that continuing this process could bring irreversible social, economic, and security harm to the region.
Residents of Ghazni call on the Taliban to immediately stop work on the disputed land and to appoint an independent, impartial, and technical legal committee to review ownership documents. They stress that the Sharia and legal rights of Rawza village residents must be fully protected and that similar land seizures in Ghazni province must not be allowed to continue. They say defending their property is a legitimate and Sharia right, and they will continue seeking justice through civil and legal means.
One resident of Ghazni recalls: “People cultivated rain-fed crops on this land, and the water kareez passes directly through it. Further down, the community also built a small water dam. Residents submitted petitions to several offices, but no one listened, and construction began anyway. Around 5,000 families live here, and all of them are Tajik.”
Another resident, who requested anonymity, says: “This agricultural land belongs to the people of Rawza village, and it has been taken by force. If construction of the terminal continues, the Mayan water kareez will dry up.”
Another resident says the land is backed by valid deeds and documents belonging to the people of Rawza village, yet the Taliban ignored all records and forcibly took possession. He adds, “This is the greatest injustice against the people of Rawza. The Taliban must reconsider. There is a chain of historic kareez wells in this area, and if construction causes them to dry up, the village will face serious hardship.”
These concerns emerged alongside an announcement by the Taliban’s Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation, which said construction of a terminal in Ghazni province has begun at a cost of more than 34 million Afghanis. Residents describe the project not as development, but as land seizure and injustice against the people.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
غصب زمینهای روضه در غزنی؛ مردم خواهان توقف زورگیری طالبان شدند
