Local sources told Afghanistan International on Monday that public protests are intensifying in Badakhshan province, with demonstrators calling for the removal of Qari Ayub Khalid, the Taliban governor.
The unrest follows growing discontent over the destruction of poppy fields and recent deadly clashes between Taliban forces and local farmers in the Jurm district.
According to sources, protesters have issued a one-week ultimatum to the Taliban to dismiss the governor. The demand has reportedly received backing from some Taliban members native to Badakhshan.
Protesters insist the provincial governor should be selected from among the local population and that non-local Taliban officials should leave the province. The unrest reflects broader frustrations among residents, who accuse the Taliban leadership of disregarding local needs and traditions.
The tensions escalated after Taliban counter-narcotics units clashed with farmers in Jurm district. Local Taliban members are said to have sided with the residents during the confrontation, which forced the enforcement team to withdraw. Several residents were reportedly killed or injured during the clashes.
The Taliban have yet to issue any formal statement on the ongoing protests in Badakhshan.
Previously, community elders had urged local Taliban members to align themselves with the people of the province rather than follow directives from the Taliban’s central leadership. Badakhshan has witnessed repeated unrest in recent years, particularly over poppy eradication campaigns that locals argue threaten their livelihoods in the absence of viable economic alternatives.
