This report examines the life of Mullah Hafiz, the Taliban governor of Farah province. The findings show how he rose from being a school dropout and taxi driver in Badakhshan to becoming one of the Taliban’s commanders and, later, a senior official within the group. Accounts from residents and sources close to him reveal a turbulent past, unbecoming conduct, his role in Taliban wars, and his military relationships. Sources also accuse Mullah Hafiz of “bacha bazi” (the sexual exploitation of boys), keeping several of them, and gambling.
Mohammad Hafiz, known as “Mullah Hafiz,” son of Mohammad Es’haq, is one of the Taliban members from Badakhshan. According to reports, he was born in 1979 in Warduj district, Badakhshan province. His mother is among the Naqilin (resettled populations) and is of Pashtun Alokozai descent, while his father is a Tajik from Badakhshan.
Mullah Hafiz spent his childhood and adolescence in the center of Baharak district, Badakhshan province, and continued his primary and secondary education at Baharistan High School in the district up to the 11th grade. He left school in 2009.
Some of his former classmates say Hafiz behaved inappropriately toward teachers and those around him. According to them, he would make holes in the school walls and, when a teacher arrived, would escape through the window during class hours instead of attending. They add that Hafiz spent most of his time playing and singing. According to them, this behavior led him to leave school without completing his education.
Family and Social Circumstances
According to accounts from residents, Mullah Hafiz’s father, Mohammad Es’haq, was a poor man who ran a small shop in the Baharak market to support his family. He earned a living selling mulberries, dried mulberries, and various small goods. Mullah Hafiz has two brothers, and their family lived in difficult economic conditions. According to one person familiar with him, these harsh living conditions and lack of opportunities were among the factors that led him to join the Taliban.
Joining Taliban Ranks and the Start of Military Activities
After years of unemployment and uncertainty, and after even attempting unsuccessfully to join the police, Mullah Hafiz worked for a time as a taxi driver on the Baharak-Faizabad route. In 2011, he decided to join the Taliban in Warduj district. He carried out military activities alongside Fasihuddin Fitrat, who at the time was in charge of Taliban fronts in the upper districts of Faizabad, known as Tang-e Bala. Mullah Hafiz took part in various Taliban battles against the forces of the former government and was wounded several times in his hands and back.
The group under his command was targeted several times by attacks from the former government’s security forces, and a number of his fighters were killed. However, he managed to form a new group again and continued fighting against the former government’s military forces in various districts of Badakhshan. It is said that nearly half of his body was damaged by war wounds, and he still suffers from pain in parts of his body.
Mullah Hafiz’s Position After the Taliban Takeover
After the fall of Badakhshan to the Taliban, Mullah Hafiz engaged in looting state property and transferred part of the government’s equipment and resources to his personal home in Baharak district. According to a person close to him within the Taliban, during the transfer of state property and institutions, Mullah Hafiz’s men clashed with Qari Fasihuddin’s forces in Faizabad city, and several people from both sides were wounded.
After the complete fall of the provinces to the Taliban, Mullah Hafiz was appointed head of foreign institution affairs and served in this position for about a year. After that year, he was appointed commander of the Taliban’s 209 Omar Thani Division in Badakhshan and remained in this position for about two years. In 2024, by order of Akhundzada, the Taliban Supreme Leader, he was appointed governor of Farah, a position he still holds.
Mullah Hafiz’s Personal Life
According to people close to him, one of Mullah Hafiz’s personal traits is his reluctance to take multiple wives, which they attribute to unhealthy behaviors and certain unbecoming habits. Due to gambling and immoral conduct, he is known among those around him for misbehavior and poor character.
Sources close to him say Hafiz has a history of inappropriate and immoral behavior and currently keeps several “young boys,” some of whom serve as his personal bodyguards.
According to sources, although he is not directly involved in mine looting, he receives a share of the revenue from it. His brother, Qari Basit, is also head of the office of the 219th Division in Badakhshan, reflecting the extensive family ties within the Taliban’s structure.
After the fall of the Kalan area, Hafiz purchased and renovated part of the properties there, including six houses, for 10 million Afghanis. He is interested in tug-of-war games and keeping various birds of prey. These birds are kept at the Baharak bathhouse and are cared for by his brother, Mohammad Yasin.
Social and Political Conduct
During his trips to Badakhshan, Mullah Hafiz travels with more than 50 armed vehicles and maintains a large military presence. He has a longstanding rivalry with Maulvi Mahboob Khastaki and, according to local sources, has been held responsible for the killing of several residents and young people in the area during the war against the former government.
Some reports also point to his rivalry with Qari Fasihuddin. Since he is of Pashtun descent on his mother’s side, it is said that the Taliban are seeking to strengthen his position further in Badakhshan to preserve their ethnic dominance and influence in the province. Earlier reports had also suggested he might be appointed as the Taliban’s army chief in place of Qari Fasihuddin, but this is said to have been delayed due to the current situation in Badakhshan.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
