RASC News Agency: Local sources in Badakhshan province have reported the discovery of a young man’s body in the Kokcha River, in the Halq-e-Jar area of Fayzabad, the provincial capital. The body was transferred to the local district hospital, but the victim’s family has yet to be located or identified. Authorities and eyewitnesses noted that the body exhibited visible signs of severe beating, leaving open the possibility that the young man may have been murdered rather than having drowned accidentally. This uncertainty reflects a broader pattern of violence and impunity that has become endemic under the Taliban regime.
This incident underscores the fragility of the Taliban’s claims to nationwide security. Across Afghanistan, violent crime, targeted killings, and social unrest have surged, exposing the regime’s inability or unwillingness to provide genuine protection for its citizens. For the Afghanistani population, life under Taliban rule has become synonymous with fear, uncertainty, and the constant threat of arbitrary violence. Mental health experts warn that the oppressive social environment, restrictions on personal freedoms especially for women, girls, and youth alongside economic deprivation and widespread poverty, have significantly contributed to rising rates of psychological distress and suicide. Local reports indicate that women and young people are disproportionately affected, often forced into despair by a society in which opportunity, safety, and social mobility are severely curtailed.
Analysts argue that the Taliban are the primary architect of these cascading crises. Their governance model marked by ideological rigidity, mismanagement, and violent enforcement of authority has led to systemic collapse across security, economic, and social domains. From the disintegration of law and order to the suppression of civil society and education, the Taliban have created a society in which fear governs daily life and hope for the future is diminishing. The discovery of the young man’s body in the Kokcha River is a stark manifestation of the human cost of Taliban rule an emblem of the widespread insecurity, societal decay, and psychological trauma that continue to grip Afghanistan. It reflects the grim reality that, under the current regime, violence and oppression are institutionalized, and public trust in governance has eroded to near extinction.
Until Afghanistan moves beyond the destructive control of the Taliban, incidents like this will remain tragically common, demonstrating that the so-called “security” offered by the regime is nothing more than a facade masking systemic failure, lawlessness, and social collapse. The Kokcha River tragedy is not an isolated incident it is a microcosm of a broader, persistent crisis that underscores the urgent need for accountable governance, protection of human rights, and restoration of public trust.
