Abdul Rasheed, the Taliban’s mayor of Kabul, has been detained in Kandahar for nearly 20 days after traveling there to address the dismissal of dozens of municipal officials accused of corruption, sources familiar with the matter said on Monday.
The sources said that Rasheed traveled to Kandahar after senior Taliban removed a large number of Kabul Municipality officials as part of an apparent anti-corruption investigation. He was subsequently detained and has not returned to his post, the sources said.
According to the sources, at least 42 department heads and senior officials within Kabul Municipality were initially dismissed over allegations of administrative corruption.
The sources said Rasheed had traveled to Kandahar to seek clarification on the dismissals and challenge the removal of some officials. Shortly afterward, he was reportedly taken into custody.
Nematullah Barakzai, Taliban spokesman for Kabul Municipality, denied reports that Rasheed had been arrested and dismissed allegations of corruption within the municipality as false.
The reported investigation is said to involve several major development projects in Kabul, including the Pul-e-Khishti underpass, the Cinema Park project and a commercial development known as Tala and Sarafi City near Hamid Market.
Sources said Taliban oversight and intelligence bodies have been examining the projects and compiling evidence against a number of municipal officials. Among those reportedly under investigation is Mawlawi Khalid, Kabul Municipality’s deputy for urban services and a nephew of Rasheed.
The case is notable because Kabul Municipality is one of the Taliban’s most important sources of domestic revenue, overseeing construction permits, land management, municipal taxation and major urban development projects in the capital.
Rasheed was appointed mayor of Kabul in October 2021 by the Taliban’s chief minister, Hassan Akhund. He is among a small number of senior Taliban officials who have remained in the same position since the Taliban’s return to power, avoiding the frequent reshuffles that have characterized much of the administration.
Taliban have repeatedly cited anti-corruption efforts as one of their principal achievements since taking power in August 2021, contrasting their rule with the former government that preceded them.
However, details of corruption investigations within Taliban-run institutions are rarely disclosed publicly, and the absence of independent oversight bodies has made it difficult to assess the scope of corruption or the handling of such cases.
International watchdogs have continued to raise concerns. In its latest Corruption Perceptions Index, Transparency International ranked Afghanistan 165th out of 180 countries, warning that restrictions on independent media, civil society and accountability institutions can increase corruption risks and reduce transparency.
