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Justice ministry cracks down on usurped land in Kabul city’s Sherpur area
Afghanistan’s Justice Ministry announced Thursday that after a review of land ownership in Sherpur area in Kabul’s 10th district, the Land Grab Prevention Commission found that 155 acres had been usurped.
According to a statement issued by the ministry, the land belongs to the government and the process of reclaiming it will start in the near future.
Sherpur had during the 20 years of occupation under the US and NATO troops been incorporated into the city’s “Green Zone”, a highly fortified area that housed mostly government officials, NGOs and foreign contractors.
It was also directly linked to Wazir Akbar Khan’s primary “Green Zone”, or diplomatic enclave.
The area however is steeped in history, having been the site of the ill-fated siege of the British cantonment during the second Anglo-Afghan War in 1879.
It reportedly remained largely military land through the years but in September 2003, armed police and bulldozers violently ejected around 250 people from land.
According to the Middle East Institute, the authorities demolished homes to make way for lavish mansions that sprang up over the next few years; plots having been dished out to the then freshly empowered elite and allies of the interim republic government.
Given its close proximity to the city center, the Sherpur land is considered extremely valuable.
In August 2022, Sherpur again made headlines. This time when the United States allegedly took out Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda, in a drone strike.
On Thursday however, the Islamic Emirate said that in accordance with a decree issued by their supreme leader, if land is found to have been usurped then it must be reclaimed “as soon as possible”.
The statement read: “The land, bordered to the east by streets 16, 6, and 15 of Wazir Akbar Khan; to the west by Qassabi Alley; to the north by Wazir Akbar Khan Hill and Shaheed Square; and to the south by Sher Ali Khan Road, has been reviewed by the Technical Committee of the Commission to Prevent Land Seizure and Confiscation, in coordination with Kabul Municipality.”
The Islamic Emirate claimed that no documentation had been provided by occupants to prove private ownership of the parcels of land and instead the area had been developed “arbitrarily and against planned designs.”
Pakistan on Friday summoned Afghan Deputy Head of Mission in Islamabad to convey “strong demarche” over a deadly attack on a military camp in North Waziristan District that killed four Pakistani soldiers.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack was carried out by a faction of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The statement said that Pakistan conveyed “grave concern over the continued support and facilitation” provided by the Islamic Emirate to TTP.
Pakistan has demanded “a full investigation and decisive action against the perpetrators and facilitators of the terrorist attacks launched against Pakistan from Afghan soil.”
It urged the Islamic Emirate “to take immediate, concrete and verifiable measures against all terror groups operating from its territory, including their leadership, and deny the continued use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan.
According to the statement, the Islamic Emirate has been “categorically informed that Pakistan reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and protect its citizens, and will take all necessary measures to respond to terrorism originating from Afghan soil.”
Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are originated from Afghan soil, a charge the Islamic Emirate denies.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has underscored Afghanistan’s continued importance in regional cooperation, saying the country remains one of the key areas of interaction among regional partners.
Addressing the first summit of the “Central Asia Plus Japan” dialogue, Mirziyoyev said participating countries share a common aspiration to see Afghanistan become peaceful, stable, and oriented toward meaningful development.
The Uzbek president praised Japan’s longstanding and consistent support for Afghanistan, noting that Tokyo has for many years been among the leading donors and partners assisting the Afghan people.
He expressed confidence that coordinated efforts and joint contributions by regional countries and Japan would help improve living standards in Afghanistan, advance socio-economic and infrastructure development, and facilitate the country’s active involvement in regional economic projects.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan announced on Friday that the country has allocated $19.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Japanese Embassy said it hopes the aid will help bring positive change to the lives of vulnerable Afghans.
According to the statement, the assistance will cover the basic humanitarian needs of vulnerable communities in Afghanistan.
The embassy added that the aid will be delivered through United Nations agencies, international organizations, and Japanese non-governmental organizations operating in Afghanistan.
Japan’s total assistance to Afghanistan since August 2021 has reached more than $549 million.
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