Tehran- IRAF- Sami Yousafzai, an Afghan journalist, wrote today on Monday, February 1, on X that a number of local elders and residents have confirmed that the forest, located between the districts of Darqad, Dasht-e Qal’e, and Khajeh Bahauddin, and previously classified as joint state property—was entirely destroyed through collusion involving senior officials of the Taliban-run Ministry of Agriculture. Those implicated reportedly include a deputy minister, Qotbuddin, the head of agriculture in Takhar, and Qari Abdul Rahman, the land affairs officer.
According to Yousafzai’s report, following the large-scale felling of trees, the forest land is now being illegally and mafia-style leased to various individuals.
Local residents say the operation was carried out under forged and illegitimate orders and in coordination with influential networks.
According to local sources, the destruction of Kohna Khani Forest has left wild animals without habitat and has erased the historical value of the area.
In the past, the forest was one of the favorite recreational and hunting sites of King Zahir Shah, Afghanistan’s former king.
Now, however, the area has been turned into a dry, barren desert, and the illegal land-grabbing process continues.
Yousafzai also quoted one local elder as saying that a Taliban commander named Qari Moaz from Dasht-e Qala district has sold around 100 truckloads of timber harvested from the forest since yesterday alone.
