RASC News Agency: Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, leader of the Taliban, has issued a directive to allocate free land to clerics affiliated with the group who serve in religious and jihadist madrasas. He also ordered the establishment of dedicated residential townships for these clerics in each province of Afghanistan. Following this new directive, Mawlawi Abdul Raziq Sadiq, head of religious schools, Quran memorization centers, and acting Deputy of Islamic Education at the Taliban’s Ministry of Education, has instructed local authorities to prepare a list of clerics eligible for land allocation and the development of these residential townships.
Sources within the Taliban’s Ministry of Education have confirmed this order, noting that it was issued after Akhundzada learned about designated townships created for teachers. In a letter written in Pashto, Akhundzada emphasized the need for swift identification of locations and land to facilitate these projects. Mawlawi Sibghatullah Wasel, Deputy for Resources and Administration at the Ministry of Education, echoed this urgency, stressing the immediate necessity for an “accurate tally of esteemed scholars” to advance the initiative as quickly as possible.
Both senior officials in the Ministry of Education have warned their departments that any delay in implementing Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada’s directive will result in disciplinary action. Since the fall of Afghanistan’s previous government three years ago, the Taliban has established thousands of religious and jihadist madrasas nationwide.