KABUL (Amu tv): Mullah Shirin, the Taliban governor of Kandahar and a close ally of their leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, controls access to his offices and prevents complaints and reports of corruption from reaching him, according to multiple sources.
The sources, including individuals in Akhundzada’s office and the Kandahar governor’s compound, said Shirin manages two offices that Akhundzada has set up inside the governor’s building — one for urgent requests and another for day-to-day matters. All correspondence and grievances are reviewed by Shirin before they reach the Taliban leader.
A yellow container placed outside the Taliban governor’s office to collect urgent complaints from the public has also been blocked, the sources said, leaving Akhundzada without direct contact with citizens.
Sources close to Mawlawi Rahmani, Akhundzada’s financial and administrative chief, confirmed that Shirin uses his authority to intercept reports, including those related to embezzlement, financial misconduct and moral corruption among Taliban officials.
Residents say the Taliban leadership has shown little concern for people’s needs. “It has been four years since the Taliban returned, but they have not provided any meaningful services,” said one Kabul resident. “Every day, the oppression grows, and women and girls are erased from society.” Another resident said: “People are destitute. They cannot even find bread. Schools and universities are closed, and our daughters have no future.”
Kandahar has become the Taliban’s center of power since their return in 2021. Analysts and residents say Akhundzada, who has avoided public appearances and media contact, governs the country from the southern city by issuing restrictive decrees that have deepened Afghanistan’s isolation and curtailed freedoms, particularly for women and girls.
Political observers note that Akhundzada has centralized power in Kandahar by limiting the authority of ministers in Kabul, including members of the Haqqani network, to maintain his dominant role in the Taliban hierarchy.
