ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban has enacted a new law that allows authorities to classify occupied land as state-owned property and resell them to residents, raising concerns over possible confiscation of private land and the cancellation of long-standing ownership rights, according to an Afghan media report.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Justice announced Tuesday that the “Law on the Sale and Distribution of State Land Plots and Issuing Construction Permits” had been published in the official gazette, according to Afghanistan International.
The measure, based on decrees issued by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada, contains 38 articles across six chapters.
Taliban officials said the law was intended to regulate the distribution, sale and ownership of government land for residential and commercial purposes. But several provisions indicate authorities could invalidate previous ownership claims and require residents to repurchase land already occupied by homes and businesses.
Under Articles 7 and 8, the Taliban may designate land as “state land” even if residential settlements or housing developments already exist there.
Article 11 imposes strict conditions on landholders. Individuals granted land must take possession within six months, while buyers of commercial properties must complete payment within three months or risk losing ownership rights.
The article also states that if construction does not begin within three years, authorities may reclaim the property and cancel allocation contracts.
The law further limits individuals to ownership of four residential plots in reclaimed housing developments, allowing the Taliban to confiscate any additional plots exceeding that number.
Critics say the provisions could pave the way for widespread cancellation of private ownership rights and confiscation of land where families have lived for years.
Articles 4 and 5 state that land prices will be determined solely according to Taliban regulations, leaving residents with no role in setting or negotiating prices.
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban has established a commission tasked with preventing land grabbing and recovering what it describes as illegally seized state property. However, reports from several provinces indicate authorities have confiscated and registered thousands of acres of privately held land under the designation of “state-owned” property.
The law is likely to deepen concerns among Afghans over property rights and legal protections under Taliban rule, particularly in urban and residential areas where ownership documentation is disputed or incomplete.
