RASC News Agency: Several Ghor residents allege that funds collected for the construction of the Herat-Ghor highway have been misappropriated by the Taliban. According to these sources, in March 2023, Mawlawi Ahmad Shah Din Dost, the former Taliban governor of Ghor, coerced local residents into contributing money under the guise of constructing the highway. However, not only has there been no progress on the project, but the whereabouts of the collected funds remain a mystery.
On Saturday, October 12, several Ghor residents told the media they had approached the newly appointed Taliban governor and the Islamic Bank seeking clarity on the status of the highway and the funds. However, they were met with unsatisfactory responses from Taliban officials. One frustrated resident remarked, “The Taliban act as though we sought them out to construct the highway, while in reality, it was they who forcibly took money from us. Now, they refuse to answer for it.”
The resident further stressed that Ahmad Shah Din Dost, in collaboration with Taliban leadership, has misappropriated the funds collected from the public. Additional sources reveal that two years ago, during his tenure as governor, Din Dost extorted large sums from teachers, civil servants, ordinary citizens, traders in Herat and Ghor provinces, and even international organizations. He had promised that the funds would go towards constructing the Herat-Ghor highway. However, the project has seen no progress, and there is no transparency regarding the fate of the funds.
It is also noteworthy that Ahmad Shah Din Dost, who forcibly collected money from residents, has since been transferred from his post as Ghor’s governor and is now serving as the commander of the Taliban Corps in Kandahar.
