Badakhshan Residents: Disorder, Corruption, and Abuse Continue in the Province.
Local sources in Jurm district of Badakhshan report that Farshid Hamas, head of communications for the Rapid Reaction Battalion in Jawzjan province and a native of Jurm, has been extorting and coercing local residents.
According to these sources, he has threatened local gold washers in Katib village using weapons, vehicles, and state resources, demanding money from them. Residents say many families, due to poverty and unemployment, traditionally engage in small-scale gold washing to support their households.
Locals allege that the Taliban commander sells public land and riverbeds to residents for sums reaching up to 50,000 Afghanis. Due to fear, no one dares to file complaints or protest against his actions.
A Badakhshan resident described the current situation as extremely chaotic, stating that there is no order or security and that any armed individual can act with impunity. He added that the Taliban have set their sights on people’s livelihoods and property, while media freedom, accountability mechanisms, and public oversight no longer exist, describing the situation as “complete lawlessness.”
