RASC News Agency: Several young individuals from Afghanistan’s western provinces report that despite completing their education, they remain unemployed or are forced into menial labor under Taliban rule. Basir Ahmad Mahmoudi, an educated young man from Herat Province, informed RASC News Agency on Thursday, May 30, that he holds a bachelor’s degree in law and political science but remains jobless at home.
He states that he has approached Taliban officials in Herat multiple times seeking employment but has yet to receive a positive response. Mahmoudi recounts how he completed his schooling and university studies with great enthusiasm, hoping to establish himself in society. However, under the current conditions, he cannot even find work selling potatoes.
Similarly, Omar Alokozay, another educated young man from Herat, told RASC News Agency that while he worked in numerous institutions during the republic’s rule, there are no job opportunities for talented youth under the Taliban regime. Alokozay adds that now, connections with Taliban officials and institutional leaders are crucial for securing employment.
He further explains that an individual can only secure a suitable job if a prominent Taliban official guarantees their placement in the relevant administration. Latif Wahidi, an expert on western Afghanistan affairs, confirms that nepotism under Taliban rule is more prevalent than during the Ghani administration.
He notes, “If someone speaks even a few words of Pashto to the Taliban, they will be provided with the best job opportunities.” According to Wahidi, “Taliban officials are highly sensitive about speaking Pashto. If someone speaks to them in a non-Pashto language, it is perceived as a grave insult.”
Meanwhile, Taliban officials in Herat have repeatedly urged employees, security forces, and the educated class of the province to share their expertise with the group’s members and to learn Pashto.
