A number of personnel in the Taliban’s police command in the eastern province of Nuristan have resigned collectively, citing alleged corruption, discrimination and ethnic bias within the provincial police command, local sources said.
The sources said the resignations were directed at the leadership of Mohammad Muzammil, the Taliban’s police chief in Nuristan, accusing him of ignoring merit-based appointments and favouring ethnic affiliations in staffing decisions.
According to the sources, the officers said the commander lacks sufficient familiarity with Nuristan’s geographic, social and cultural conditions, and that his decisions have fuelled widespread dissatisfaction among local forces.
The Taliban have not commented publicly on the reported resignations.
Reacting to the situation more broadly, Afghanistan’s charge d’affaires to the United Nations, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, said administrative corruption, discrimination and ethnic bias were increasing under Taliban rule. In a statement on X on Sunday, Dec. 28, he said the Taliban were focused on eliminating former security personnel, misusing resources and governing through fear.
Faiq added that about 90% of Afghans now live below the poverty line, while 23 million people need humanitarian assistance. Millions of people, including young Afghans, forcibly returned migrants and internally displaced persons, are unemployed and uncertain about their future, he said, noting that women, who make up half the population, have been deprived of basic rights.
“Any system that is not based on justice, the rule of law and the will of the people will not endure,” Faiq said.
