Independent sources told Amu that Taliban have eliminated 908 positions within their police command in Farah Province—most of them formerly held by security personnel of the previous government.
This marks one of the most extensive confirmed staff reductions in a single Taliban-run security institution, and it comes as part of broader directives issued by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. According to two Taliban sources familiar with the matter, Akhundzada has ordered all public agencies, including military units, to reduce both budget and staffing by 20 percent.
Sweeping layoffs across ministries
Beyond Farah, Taliban-run institutions have begun enforcing cuts across key ministries. Internal documents reviewed by Amu, along with accounts from multiple public employees, show that reductions are underway in the Ministries of Education, Public Health, and the Prime Minister’s Office.
Nearly 90,000 positions are slated for elimination in the Taliban’s Ministry of Education.
The Ministry of Public Health is preparing to cut 6,400 posts—including 330 in Kabul province alone.
The Taliban’s Prime Minister’s Office has already confirmed the elimination of 222 positions.
Fear and resentment among civil servants
A civil servant, who requested anonymity due to safety concerns, described a scene of quiet despair at his office as employees turned in their badges: “Most of the people being dismissed had advanced degrees and were living paycheck to paycheck. Their hands trembled when they handed over their ID cards. The fear of an uncertain future was written all over their faces.”
“Most of the people being dismissed had advanced degrees… their hands trembled when they handed over their ID cards,” a public employee said, requesting to remain anonymous.
Three civil servants from separate ministries told Amu that the Taliban are also working to reduce public employees’ salaries, including those of public school teachers. They warned that if the full plan is implemented, it could trigger “an economic catastrophe” across the country.
Targeting former regime employees
In Farah, the reductions appear to disproportionately target former employees of the ousted Afghan republic. The police command there had 4,700 personnel when the Taliban returned to power, but nearly a fifth of those roles have now been scrapped.
While the Taliban have not commented publicly on salary cuts, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid acknowledged in a recent state-run TV interview that reductions were underway in both civil and military sectors. He claimed the move aimed to reduce administrative “inflation” and streamline operations.
Sayed Masood, an economist and former lecturer at Kabul University, told Amu that these staffing cuts coincide with rising poverty and unemployment and could push the country into deeper economic turmoil. “This could lead to a devastating and irreversible economic crisis,” he said.
Despite Taliban claims of financial independence, sources say acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi—currently in Qatar—is seeking renewed monetary assistance to offset mounting fiscal pressures.
Meanwhile, public employees continue to fear that the staffing purge will disproportionately affect non-Taliban workers, further politicizing the bureaucracy under the guise of budget efficiency.
