Contradictions in Taliban Decision-Making: Change of Use of Chaman-e-Hozori Defies Official Decrees.
Leaked official documents reveal that Kabul Municipality has converted the Chaman-e-Hozori area into a street market and commercial zone, in direct contradiction to decrees issued by Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada.
According to Cabinet Resolution No. 16 dated February 17, 2025, ownership of Chaman-e-Hozori was transferred to the Administrative Affairs Office, a decision later finalized under Decree No. 791-5672 issued on April 15, 2025. The documents designate the office as responsible for restoring and converting the land into a public green space.
Earlier, in Decree No. 31-517 dated March 18, 2023, Mullah Hibatullah explicitly banned the sale, transfer, or allocation of state-owned land, reserving such authority exclusively for himself and prohibiting ministries, state institutions, and municipalities from making such decisions.
Despite this, Kabul Municipality, led by Mullah Abdul Rashid, has quietly transformed Chaman-e-Hozori into a venue for street vendors and auction markets—an action that directly contradicts the leader’s decrees.
Officials within the Administrative Affairs Office have told media outlets that they were unaware of Kabul Municipality’s decision to change the land’s designated use.
