Destruction of Mazari’s Statue: Taliban Claims Removal Was to Improve Traffic Flow
Kabul's Taliban-run municipality announced on Sunday, 22 September, that several roundabouts in the capital have been removed to improve traffic conditions.
Kabul's Taliban-run municipality announced on Sunday, 22 September, that several roundabouts in the capital have been removed to improve traffic conditions.
This announcement came just hours after the destruction of a statue of Abdul Ali Mazari, the founder of the Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, in western Kabul.
While the municipality’s statement did not specifically mention Abdul Ali Mazari, it noted that, in accordance with established rules and regulations, a roundabout in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of Kabul was removed the previous night.
The municipality further stated that several other roundabouts in Kabul, including the Baraki, Traffic, and Karte Mamoreen roundabouts, have been removed and redesigned as intersections. The statement added that due to congestion and the high volume of vehicles in the Dasht-e-Barchi area, the roundabout there was also removed and will be rebuilt as an intersection.
The destruction of the Abdul Ali Mazari roundabout in western Kabul by the Taliban has sparked widespread reactions from political and cultural figures on social media. Some social media users have accused the Taliban of deliberately destroying symbols representing ethnic groups.
Dawood Naji, head of the political committee of the Freedom Front, stated that the Taliban are intent on dismantling the fabric of national unity and peaceful coexistence. He added that this act is reminiscent of "a criminal returning to the scene of the crime."
Abdul Ali Mazari, a prominent Mujahideen leader and the founder of the Islamic Unity Party of Afghanistan, was captured and killed by the Taliban in 1995. The previous Afghan government had given him the title "Martyr of National Unity."
