The Taliban say they have confiscated more than 1,400 acres of land in Logar province, classifying it as state property.

In a statement on Sunday, 24 August, the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice said the land in Pul-e-Alam, the provincial capital, had been registered as “Emarati” or state-owned land during a meeting of its Committee for Preventing Land Usurpation. The ministry said the case concerning 1,406 acres has been referred to the central commission for a final ruling.

The Taliban have established the Commission for Preventing Land Usurpation and Restoring Seized Lands, tasked with reclaiming what they describe as state property from “land usurpers.” Officials claim large areas in Kabul and other provinces have already been reclassified as government-owned.

No independent body exists in Afghanistan to hear complaints from citizens who allege the Taliban are forcibly seizing private property under the guise of land reclamation.