RASC News Agency: Local sources in Takhar Province report that the Taliban are coercing residents of Khwaja Bahauddin District into paying funds under the pretext of repairing and graveling roads across the Kokcha River. On Sunday, December 15, sources confirmed that Mawlawi Abdul Samad Ashraf, the Taliban-appointed district governor, in coordination with local village council leaders, has been extorting 500 kabuli rupees per household and 1,000 kabuli rupees from drivers. According to the sources, the Taliban have so far collected an estimated four million Afghan rupees from the residents of Khwaja Bahauddin. The group has allegedly issued warnings, threatening locals with imprisonment and torture if they refuse to pay or fail to meet the imposed deadlines.
The sources further disclosed that a similar extortion campaign was conducted last year under the same justification of repairing roads across the Kokcha River. However, the funds collected were reportedly embezzled by the Taliban district governor, with no visible improvements made to the infrastructure. As of now, local Taliban authorities in Takhar have not issued any statements regarding the allegations.
It is important to note that during their over three-year rule in Afghanistan, the Taliban have consistently exploited citizens under various pretenses. While millions of dollars in foreign aid flow into the country weekly, the Taliban have failed to deliver basic services or create employment opportunities. Instead, they have left Afghanistani citizens economically crippled, systematically extorting money and tightening their grip on an already struggling population.
