Taliban ranks banned from conducting house searches, ‘stealing’ properties

Interim PM issues decrees, orders military, interior and defence ministry officials to return to military bases

KABUL:

The Taliban interim prime minister, Mullah Hassan Akhund, directed all ranks on Thursday to refrain from entering homes on the pretext of 'searches', grabbing public properties and confiscating peoples' belongings in the name of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

The interim premier issued decrees for the first time after taking charge of the office.

The two decrees came after several complaints from various parts of the country were reported regarding different Taliban ranks searching peoples' houses, taking away vehicles and also stealing properties in the name of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

The first order maintained that all military personnel, all staffs of the interior ministry and intelligence were to leave private homes and shift to their respective military bases.

In the wake of the Taliban takeover and the ensuing uncertainty, some employees of the ministries were working from their respective homes.

However, the decree clarified the uncertainty for the employees of the three ministries.

The second decree issued by the interim prime minister ordered all Taliban ranks to stop conducting searches in Kabul, and barred them from violating the sanctity of the houses.

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“If a search is required in any area of the country, a proper protocol will have to be followed, and local norms respected by the employees. No one – of any rank – is allowed to conduct searches in the IEA,” an employee of the interim PM office stated.

The decision was taken after scores of complaints were registered with the complaint commission established in the office of the Ministry of Refugees in Kabul.

“No one is allowed to enter houses and offices in Kabul or its surroundings under the pretext of checking vehicles or equipment. No one is allowed to take vehicles or equipment in the name of IEA,” the order said.

The district government of Kabul also issued an order concerning houses in upscale localities that fell vacant after the owners left following the Taliban takeover.

“People who have fled Afghanistan will get back their houses again. The IEA has prevented property theft by giving their houses on rent, and special accounts have been set up for them in banks. The rental money and their houses will be handed over to them once they return to their country” the statement from the IEA officials said.

The Taliban have also named Javed Afghan as the director of the Afghan Film Department. He will look after the affairs of the film industry and keep the content in check, their official page stated.