KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban has announced the creation of a new ministry in what the group says aims to reclaim illegally occupied land across the country, according to authorities.
The group’s Ministry of Justice said the newly formed body, named the Ministry of Land and Recovery of Usurped Property, will replace the existing Commission for the Prevention and Recovery of Usurped Land. The commission will remain active until the ministry is fully operational.
The commission and a special land court were established by the Taliban shortly after their return to power to address widespread cases of land seizure, particularly of government property.
Ehsanullah Wasiq, Director General of Legal Affairs at the Taliban-run Ministry of Justice, told reporters in Kabul that the move represents an upgrade in the regime’s ongoing effort to combat illegal land occupation.
According to Wasiq, the commission has so far identified more than 49.7 million acres of land believed to be public or state-owned, and recovered nearly 4 million acres from individuals or groups who had unlawfully seized it.
He added that over 12.7 million acres of reclaimed land have been transferred to the group’s Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, to be used for public development projects.
However, the Taliban’s land recovery campaign has drawn widespread criticism, with many landowners accusing the authorities of bias, lack of transparency, and coercion in the review of property documents, raising serious concerns about due process and fair treatment.
Critics argue that the campaign is part of a broader effort by the Taliban to tighten control over land and resources, as Afghanistan continues to grapple with a deepening economic crisis, humanitarian emergency, and widespread rights violations.
