Taliban dismisses 420 employees of state-owned Ibn Sina pharmaceutical company

Informed sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban dismissed 420 employees of the state-owned Ibn Sina pharmaceutical company. The dismissed employees claim that pharmacies managed by the company have been handed over to family members and relatives of Taliban officials.

Out of approximately 460 employees, only 40, including the company president, remain in their positions, the sources said. The Taliban took the pharmacies from former employees and put them up for auction but barred the ex-workers from participating, according to the informed sources.

Many dismissed employees stated they built the pharmacies with their own funds, costing between 800,000 and 1 million afghanis each, and that the Taliban has not compensated them. The Taliban maintains that the properties belong to the government, the employees said.

The workers emphasized that the auctions are for show and that the pharmacies are actually awarded to Taliban commanders and their relatives. Sources added that pharmacies linked to Balkh provincial hospitals have also been placed under the control of a Taliban official.

Afghanistan International said the Taliban Ministry of Public Health did not respond to questions about the dismissals.