RASC News Agency: Several drivers traveling along the Kabul-Kandahar highway have reported to the media that the Taliban are collecting extortion payments at various checkpoints for reasons such as road construction, transportation costs, and toll fees. According to the drivers, their complaints regarding this extortion are being disregarded by Taliban officials. One driver stated, “They [the Taliban] are standing along the Ghazni-Kandahar route in civilian clothes, armed, and forcibly collecting money from drivers.”
The drivers explained that they initially made a one-time payment for road construction and transportation, yet they are still required to pay an additional 1,000 to 3,000 kabuli rupees. Transport companies based in Kandahar and Kabul have also reported that this problem is not limited to trucks carrying commercial goods, but that even small passenger vehicles are now being subjected to the same extortion.
Drivers are calling on Taliban authorities to put an end to these arbitrary demands and acts of extortion. They expressed their frustration, saying, “Yesterday, they [the Taliban] were taking money from people by claiming ‘we are fighting jihad,’ but today they are extorting money under the guise of ‘we are serving you.’” The drivers further stated that there is no avenue for them to file formal complaints.
“We have repeatedly approached the relevant authorities, but not only are our concerns ignored, we are treated as though we deserve any injustice or abuse,” one driver shared. He recounted a conversation with a Taliban official who, when confronted about the issue, responded: “Money is nothing. If our people take your life, say nothing. We fought jihad, and we have the right to do whatever we want.”
