Poverty and Corruption in Afghanistan: From Selling Children to Taliban Investments in Banks

While a Pashtun family in Nangarhar has been forced to sell their two young daughters due to extreme poverty, the Taliban governor of Bamiyan is planning to invest 30 million Afghanis in a private bank. This stark contrast highlights the deep divide between Taliban leaders and the impoverished people of Afghanistan.

Poverty Crisis Among Afghan Families

Local sources in Nangarhar report that a 10-member family is living in ruins in the sixth district of Jalalabad city. After the father became paralyzed in a traffic accident, they fell into extreme poverty. Debt and hunger have forced them to put their two daughters up for sale, while no charity organization has stepped in to help them.

Corruption and Wealth Accumulation Among Taliban Officials

While ordinary people struggle with severe economic hardships, many Taliban leaders are accumulating vast wealth. Some local Taliban commanders own expensive armored vehicles, luxurious mansions, and multiple wives.

One such official is Mullah Abdullah Sarhadi, the Taliban governor of Bamiyan, who hails from the Pashtun community in Zabul. Over the past three years, he has amassed millions of Afghanis and is now seeking to buy shares in a private bank. His brother, Mohammad Khan Ghazi, has confirmed that he has 30 million Afghanis in cash and is looking for investment opportunities.

A Stark Contrast Between Leaders and Ordinary Citizens

The Taliban, who constantly use ethnic slogans and send poor Pashtuns to the battlefield for suicide missions, are now busy increasing their personal wealth and investing in banks. The plight of the impoverished Nangarhar family is just one example of a bitter reality, showing that the Taliban do not even care for their own deprived people, let alone other ethnic groups in Afghanistan.

This growing class divide and widespread corruption among Taliban officials have raised concerns about increasing public discontent and its potential consequences for Afghanistan’s future.