RASC News Agency: According to local reports, a group of nomadic Kochis has established a settlement around the historic royal palace of Jabal al-Siraj in Parwan province, using the surrounding area to herd their livestock. On Wednesday, October 16th, sources confirmed that for several weeks, armed Kochis have stationed hundreds of livestock in front of the palace’s western gate.
Reports suggest that, at night, these nomads shelter their animals within the premises of the former staff quarters of the Salang Maintenance Directorate, located inside the palace compound. The foul odor and unsanitary conditions created by the livestock have been a significant source of discomfort for local residents, particularly passersby and students attending the nearby Jabal al-Siraj Girls’ High School.
Locals reportedly lack the power to remove the Kochis from the area. The Jabal al-Siraj Palace, situated in the Jabal al-Siraj district of Parwan, underwent extensive restoration under the previous government, costing millions of dollars. It was once a favored destination for visitors and photographers. Today, however, it has been reduced to a “livestock barn” for the Kochis and a military post for the Taliban.
Civilians and visitors have been prohibited from entering the palace grounds, and its current condition remains unknown beyond Taliban control. Interestingly, in every regime that governs Afghanistan, Pashtun Kochis often emerge as beneficiaries. Former President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, himself a Kochi, was known for his strong affinity towards this nomadic group, presenting himself as their defender until his fall from power. Under the Taliban regime, these Kochis, once dominant during the Republic, now again hold sway over the lives and property of non-Pashtun communities.
This concerning situation highlights both the deterioration of a historical site and the broader ethnic and social tensions that persist under the Taliban’s rule.
