Haqqani Deputy Tells Residents Not to Evacuate Omid-e Sabz Township

DID Press: Mohammad Nabi Omari, deputy to Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, has reportedly advised residents of Omid-e Sabz Township not to leave their homes until Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada issues a direct order, following a controversial eviction directive by the group’s Justice Minister Abdul Hakim Shara’i.

According to local sources, representatives of Omid-e Sabz residents traveled to Kandahar to voice their opposition to the eviction order and later went to the Taliban Interior Ministry in Kabul seeking a meeting with Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Haqqani was reportedly not in Kabul at the time, but his deputy, Mohammad Nabi Omari, met with the residents’ representatives and advised them to remain in the township until a decision is issued personally by Hibatullah Akhundzada.

The development follows an order by Abdul Hakim Shara’i declaring Omid-e Sabz, also known as Haji Nabi Township, state-owned and instructing residents to vacate the area. Residents were also reportedly warned against buying or selling property there.

The township is largely inhabited by members of Afghanistan’s Hazara and Shia communities, raising concerns among residents and observers over the implications of the order.

The reported position of Haqqani’s deputy also points to internal disagreements within the Taliban administration over the Justice Ministry’s handling of land disputes. Some sources claim that what they describe as unilateral decisions by Shara’i have generated opposition among a number of Taliban officials.