Local sources in Badakhshan report that following violent clashes between the Taliban and farmers in the Jurm district, a wave of public discontent has emerged, with a number of protesters demanding the removal of Qari Ayub Khalid, the Taliban governor in the province.
According to the sources, the local people, especially the farmers, are fed up with the Taliban’s harsh treatment of poppy fields. The protesters have given the group a week to change the governor and have demanded that the next governor be from the people of Badakhshan.
Meanwhile, the local Taliban have also supported the people’s demand and in some cases have stood up to the central forces.
The Taliban’s anti-drug campaign, which is mostly fueled by repression and violence, has not only resulted in the destruction of farms, but also has cost the lives of a number of civilians.
So far, the Taliban have remained officially silent on these protests.
Badakhshan has become a hotbed of popular discontent against Taliban rule in recent years, where policies imposed by non-local Taliban are met with widespread resistance.
