Taliban-appointed Bamyan Governor Emphasizes Security During Muharram Observances
Gul Haider Shafaq, the Taliban-appointed governor of Bamyan province, attended Muharram mourning ceremonies at the central mosque in the provincial capital and stressed the importance of maintaining public order, ensuring security, and supporting religious rituals. The event was attended by local residents and officials.
According to a statement from the Bamyan governor’s press office, in his speech, he affirmed the Taliban administration’s commitment to securing religious ceremonies and promised efforts to provide a peaceful environment for religious programs. Bamyan is predominantly a Shia-majority province, making the security of Muharram events particularly significant.
Meanwhile, the imam of the central mosque in Bamyan praised the governor’s presence and welcomed local authorities’ attention to the religious values of the citizens. He also described the security measures and public order maintained during Muharram as instrumental in strengthening social cohesion.
However, some residents of Bamyan have repeatedly stressed over recent years the need for practical and sustained security guarantees for religious ceremonies and impartial attention to the concerns of the Shia community—issues that have become more sensitive under Taliban rule.
Previously, the Bamyan governor met with Mohammad Akbari, deputy head of Afghanistan’s Shia Ulema Council, to discuss resolving conflicts between nomadic Kochi tribes and indigenous village residents. During that meeting, he promised that such disputes would be addressed with impartiality, social justice, and adherence to credible documents—commitments viewed as crucial by many families affected by these conflicts.
