POLITICS — June 22, 2026
Taliban Mayor of Kabul Reportedly Detained in Kandahar for 20 Days
The detention reportedly followed his protest against the removal of 42 department heads on corruption charges tied to major construction projects, though the municipality spokesman rejected both the detention and the allegations.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Amu TV — 2 min read
Informed sources report that Abdul Rashid, the Taliban mayor of Kabul, has been held in detention in Kandahar for nearly 20 days. The detention is said to have followed his travel to the city to protest the removal of dozens of senior municipal officials.
The sources state that 42 heads of departments in the Kabul municipality were dismissed on administrative corruption charges. The cases involve major construction projects including the Pul-e-Kheshti underpass, Cinema Park, and Gold and Sarafi City. Maulvi Khalid, deputy for municipal services and nephew of the mayor, is among those under investigation. The Directorate for Monitoring and Pursuing Taliban Decrees and Orders and the Taliban intelligence directorate reviewed the municipality cases.
Kabul municipality spokesman Nematullah Barakzai denied the reports of the mayor's detention and the corruption allegations, describing them as far from the truth. Abdul Rashid was appointed mayor in Mizan 1400 by Mullah Mohammad Hassan Akhund.
Read the original reporting at Amu TV →
Reliability assessment
Core claim of detention is based on anonymous informed sources and explicitly contested by a named official spokesman within the same report; no independent corroboration of the event's occurrence
The source language mixes facts with framing or advocacy wording. Amu TV: "far from the truth" (used by spokesman to dismiss reports); "the absence of independent oversight institutions, restrictions on the media, and the lack of transparency in government structures create the grounds for increased corruption" (presents systemic criticism as established fact); "few details... are published, and the process... is mostly non-transparent" (implies deliberate opacity without direct evidence in the reporting)
Across the newsrooms
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Amu TV
Originating
Framed
Framed
Filed under
Politics — Taliban, Kabul municipality, Abdul Rashid, administrative corruption, Kandahar
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