Taliban recently announced the commencement of construction on a madrassa, or religious school, named Imam Bukhari in Mazar-e-Sharif City, the center of Balkh province. The project is reportedly valued at $6 million.
However, images obtained by Amu from the inauguration ceremony show the flag of Uzbekistan placed alongside the Taliban’s flag, raising questions about the involvement of Uzbekistan in the project.
Sources told Amu that individuals from Uzbekistan are expected to come to the madrassa for training. Neither the Taliban nor Uzbek authorities have commented on the matter.
In the past three years, Taliban has constructed thousands of schools under the names of religious and jihadist madrasahs, fueling concerns about the rise of extremism in the country.
This development comes just days after the Prime Minister of Uzbekistan made his first visit to Kabul. He is the third high-ranking official from a foreign nation to visit Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, following the Emir of Qatar.
