Local Sources: Taliban Officials Have Seized State Land and Forests in Darqad.
Local sources in Takhar Province report that several local Taliban officials including the district governor, administrative officer, executive officer, and judicial director in Darqad District have destroyed and seized hundreds of jeribs of state-owned land, particularly natural forests and pasturelands.
According to the sources, these actions are taking place extensively in various parts of the district.
A number of Darqad residents have submitted a formal complaint to the Taliban governor’s office in Takhar, and a copy of the complaint has also been provided to the media.
However, information received indicates that these complaints have not been taken seriously by the Taliban governor.
Local residents say that a large portion of state property has been taken over by local Taliban officials.
Sources add that land grabbing in districts across the Kokcha River, especially in Darqad, is not a new issue.
Previously, former Taliban officials in these areas had also been accused of land seizures and forest destruction.
Abdul Jabbar Taqwa, the former governor of Takhar, had earlier warned that the continuation of this trend could lead to the destruction of forests, pose a serious threat to wildlife, and undermine the status of Darqad Island as a national park and protected area.
