Afghanistan Times
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The Afghan masses don’t like land mafias, and the vice versa. Some powerful wings are busy in seizing lands and then selling it illegally to others—a very much lucrative, but black business.
The Afghan people are facing numerous challenges. If one tried to count these problems, the list will shape a multi-chapter book, full of the stories about the government’s failures. From elimination of poppy to fight against corruption, the leaders failed on every front. Grabbing of lands by powerful people is another indication of the absence of the rule of law in Afghanistan. Even, illegal seizure of the government-owned land is another challenge. The government utterly failed to protect its and public lands.
Recently, in central Logar province, around 5,750 acres of land of almost 2,000 individuals have been grabbed by powerful people. Without doubt, this move created unrest among the general public and add to the problems of the government.
The provincial governor, Muhammad Halim Fidai, said nearly 1,898 individuals were involved in land grabbing for the last 15 years in Baraki Barak, Pul-i-Alam, Khoshi and Muhammad Agha districts of the province.
The governor accused two widely known land grabbers, Haji Daulat Khan and Haji Dawran, over the seizure. However, no further details about the accused men were made public. Some source said that land grabbers are out of the country at the moment. They—the two land grabbers—should be arrested at the very day when they return home. Related officials should scan the issue widely with open eyes.
They should be brought to the book. Otherwise, government would fail in living up to expectations of people and protecting their property.
Land grabbing is not something new. Since 2001 the problem remain the same. In last 16 years, land dispute have become a permanent feature of Afghanistan’s landscape and also a primary driver of conflict. Land grabbing has reached boiling point, mainly after the collapse of Taliban regime. Land mafia groups have increased their activities after value has increased.
The grabbing now has become an established practice. Those who have power would not hesitate for a minute to usurp lands. The common people would not dare to do so, this is the work of those who enjoy immense support from powerful individuals inside and outside the government. The grabbed lands defiantly bring millions of dollars to them.
The government must look into to the matter seriously. In case of negligence, it would not be too far to see all public and government lands are usurped by the land mafia.
There is a proverbs as saying, “You can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs.” When you try to do something great, you will probably make a few people annoyed or angry. Don’t worry about those people; just focus on the good results.
The time is ripe for the government to put an end to the established practice of land grabbing from the country forever. The government should send land grabbers behind bars.
