RASC News Agency: The mysterious killing of a young athlete in Samangan province has triggered widespread concern and reignited scrutiny of the Taliban’s unfulfilled promises of nationwide security. Reliable sources in Aybak, the provincial capital, report that on Saturday, May 17, Mohammad Hassan, a young man and captain of the local football team “Shahr-e Qadim,” was gunned down near his residence in the city’s Old Town district. According to eyewitness accounts, Hassan was attempting to leave his home when he was ambushed by unidentified armed men. The assailants opened fire at close range, killing him instantly before fleeing the scene. Despite the public nature of the attack, no suspects have been apprehended, no group has claimed responsibility, and the motives behind the murder remain entirely unknown.
The Taliban’s local security apparatus has thus far remained conspicuously silent, issuing no statement and offering no assurance to the public. This silence echoes a troubling pattern. Just months ago, Akbar Niazi, a prominent tribal elder in the same province, was abducted and later found murdered by unknown gunmen a case that, like many others, remains unresolved and uninvestigated under Taliban rule. The growing frequency of such targeted killings especially in regions where the Taliban assert they have established “complete security” exposes the hollowness of those claims. While the regime’s propaganda machinery continues to boast of restoring law and order across Afghanistan, the grim reality is unfolding in the streets: civilians are being murdered in broad daylight, and the perpetrators act with near-total impunity.
In the absence of any credible judicial mechanisms or professional law enforcement under Taliban governance, Afghanistani citizens are left vulnerable and voiceless. The regime’s failure to investigate violent crimes or offer even the most minimal accountability reflects a broader collapse of institutional integrity under the Taliban’s authoritarian control. Local residents in Aybak express growing fear and disillusionment, questioning whether any semblance of justice remains possible in a system where the ruling authorities prioritize ideological repression over public safety. “If a known figure like Mohammad Hassan can be murdered without consequence, what hope is there for the rest of us?” one resident told RASC under condition of anonymity, fearing retaliation.
What is happening in Samangan is not merely a tragic episode it is symptomatic of a nationwide crisis. As the Taliban intensify their efforts to suppress women, muzzle the press, and impose religious orthodoxy, they have simultaneously abandoned one of the most fundamental responsibilities of governance: the protection of human life. The murder of Mohammad Hassan, like so many before it, is not just a personal loss for his family and community it is a damning indictment of a regime that promised security but delivers only fear, silence, and violence. Without accountability, transparency, or rule of law, Afghanistan under Taliban control teeters on the edge of lawlessness where lives can be stolen in an instant, and justice remains a distant dream.
