The Taliban’s Ministry of Justice has announced that approximately 10,000 jeribs of land in the Mominabad area of Nahri Shahi district, Balkh province, have been declared state property by order of a special court. The ministry said on Saturday, 7 Sonbola, that after reviewing the available documents and evidence, the court confirmed that the land belongs to the state.
According to the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice, the case concerning the land had previously been reviewed by the Commission for the Prevention of Land Grabbing and Recovery of Seized Lands before being referred to the special court in accordance with the law. The ministry added that the review of the case continued after it was transferred to the court.
The ministry said the special court examined documents submitted by the occupants, property records, and information provided by relevant government agencies. It ultimately ruled that the entire 10,000 jeribs of land under review is state property. No further details have been released regarding the documents and evidence on which the ruling was based.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Justice has called on individuals residing on or occupying the land to hand it over to the Commission for the Prevention of Land Grabbing and Recovery of Seized Lands. It remains unclear what consequences the decision will have for residents and occupants of the land or when enforcement of the ruling will begin.
In recent years, the Taliban have expanded efforts across Afghanistan to identify, investigate, and reclaim land they describe as having been “grabbed.” Taliban officials say such cases are reviewed on the basis of documentary evidence through the relevant commissions and special courts, with decisions on land ownership made through legal procedures.
However, efforts to reclaim disputed land have, in some cases, been met with objections from landowners and residents. Questions have also been raised about the extent to which principles of due process and fair trial are observed in Taliban special courts. Taliban critics have further linked the process in some cases to allegations of forced displacement and changes to Afghanistan’s social and demographic composition claims that the Taliban have not acknowledged.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
