Following continued complaints from citizens of Afghanistan about extortion and the seizure of people’s property by Taliban officials, several residents of Balkh have raised allegations against the Taliban’s head of land affairs in the group’s Department of Agriculture and Livestock. They accuse this local Taliban official of confiscating private property and taking control of public grazing lands. They emphasize that he leases both private and state-owned land to individuals of his choosing without observing the group’s laws or court rulings, and that if bribes are not paid, people’s ownership documents and rights are disregarded.
Sources say that “Wilayat Khan,” also known as “Haji Mir Agha,” the Taliban’s head of land affairs in Balkh Province, has been extorting landowners and farmers in the province for more than four years. According to the sources, all landowners have grown frustrated with Wilayat Khan and have no avenue available to file complaints.
Sources report that in Tarokhi village of Balkh district, Wilayat Khan has unlawfully leased land held by individuals to another person, despite the landowners’ lack of consent, effectively forcing the lease upon them. According to the sources, these lands, classified as “possessed lands,” have been in the hands of individuals for years and are registered in their names. While the holders do not have the right to inheritance or sale, they otherwise retain full ownership rights.
Sources state that no one is legally permitted to take such land from its holders without due legal process. Nevertheless, Wilayat Khan has forcibly taken these lands from residents and leased them to individuals of his choice.
Sources further add that in Dago village of Balkh district, grazing lands that are state-owned and traditionally used by residents for livestock have been illegally leased without following the formal procedures of the Taliban administration. According to the sources, people have used these lands for grazing for 40 years, but despite repeated complaints to Taliban institutions, no authority has addressed their concerns. The sources specify that Wilayat Khan has leased these pastures to Taliban fighters.
Sources also say that in most villages, state-owned lands that had previously been leased to individuals and whose revenues were deposited in banks have been unlawfully leased again by Wilayat Khan to other individuals.
One source, who requested anonymity, said that a person’s private land in Dehdadi district, despite having a valid religious deed, was located adjacent to state land and was forcibly taken. According to the source, the land was later handed over to Kolak Mining Company and includes approximately 20 jeribs of private land. No Taliban authority has addressed the landowner’s complaint.
Sources add that the individual submitted a petition to the Taliban’s Department of Agriculture and Livestock in Balkh, but the department instead instructed that the company’s activities should not be obstructed. According to the sources, the land belongs to this individual but was seized by Wilayat Khan and leased to the company. An official letter from the Taliban institution also labels the individual as a “usurper” and emphasizes that he must not interfere with the mining operations of the company favored by the Taliban.
Another source stated that in the Qaland village of Sholgara district, public grazing land has been unlawfully leased to another person for the construction of residential houses. According to the sources, residents have become exhausted from the excessive pressure exerted by this individual, yet they have no means to voice their grievances and are deeply concerned about these issues becoming public.
Sources say that in the villages of the Dawlatabad district, officials visit people’s lands daily and extract money under various pretexts. According to the sources, if individuals do not comply, landowners and farmers are threatened that their deeds will be declared invalid. The continuation of such extortion has created widespread concern among residents.
As an example of Wilayat Khan’s obstruction, sources recall that the Taliban appellate court in Balkh Province had confirmed a piece of land as privately owned and issued a written order to the group’s Department of Agriculture recognizing the validity of the owner’s deed and instructing that the land be handed over. However, Wilayat Khan reportedly told the landowner that unless he paid money, he would not implement the court’s order.
Sources further state that petitions submitted by residents are ignored or left unresolved under various pretexts by Wilayat Khan, and money or bribes are demanded in exchange for processing them. Due to fear, people are compelled to pay bribes, and if they fail to do so, their documents are not processed.
According to the sources, a man seeking to reclaim his land in Dawlatabad district, despite having a Taliban court order, was asked by Wilayat Khan to pay 200,000 Afghanis. In Hewad village, another individual had paid the land fees to the bank, yet the land was simultaneously leased by Wilayat Khan to another person.
This comes as residents of Nawur district in Ghazni Province had earlier reported that the Taliban restricted rain-fed cultivation in the district. Residents stated that the Taliban issued a letter declaring that only those physically present in their place of residence are permitted to cultivate land near their villages.
The letter stated that individuals residing outside the district do not have the right to engage in rain-fed farming in Nawur. According to residents, most inhabitants of the district have moved to the center of Ghazni and other parts of the country, but have not sold their properties and retain the right to use them. They emphasize that locals view this Taliban decision as paving the way for the settlement of Kuchi nomads.
Previously, the Taliban had also ordered the evacuation of around 600 families in the Dawlat Yar district of Ghor Province. According to this order, residents were forcibly displaced at gunpoint by the Taliban.
Note: 1 jerib is approximately equal to 0.2 hectares or 0.5 acres, though its exact size may vary by local usage.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
غصب زمین و زورگیری طالبان؛ ولایتخان مردم بلخ را به ستوه آورده است
