Taliban Orders Full Evacuation of Kabul’s ‘Omid-e Sabz’ Township by Thursday

DID Press: Local sources in western Kabul say the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice has ordered the immediate evacuation of the Omid-e Sabz residential township, giving residents and business owners until Thursday to vacate their homes and shops.

According to local representatives and residents, Taliban officials announced the decision during a meeting with community elders and neighborhood representatives held on Saturday. Participants said residents were instructed to leave the area by Thursday, while an official notice outlining the evacuation deadline and warning of consequences for non-compliance was distributed for public circulation.

Omid-e Sabz, also known as Haji Nabi Township, is one of western Kabul’s largest residential developments and is home to thousands of families and businesses. The evacuation order has sparked widespread concern among residents, many of whom say they have received no legal explanation for the decision and remain uncertain about the future of their homes and investments.

Residents told DID Press that no alternative housing arrangements or compensation mechanisms have been announced. They also say authorities have not presented legal documentation explaining the basis for the evacuation order.

Legal experts say that enforcing the evacuation of a large residential community without transparent legal procedures, judicial review or safeguards for property rights could have significant social consequences and further undermine public confidence in governance.

The Taliban’s Commission for the Prevention of Land Grabbing had previously declared the land occupied by Omid-e Sabz to be state property, laying the groundwork for government claims over the area. However, legal analysts argue that many current residents purchased land or built homes in good faith and should not automatically be treated as illegal occupiers.

They contend that if authorities seek to recover unlawfully occupied state land, legal action should target those responsible for the original land seizures rather than homeowners who were not involved in any alleged land grabbing.