Afghanistan’s Justice Ministry announced Thursday that after a review of land ownership in Sherpur area in Kabul’s 10th district, the Land Grab Prevention Commission found that 155 acres had been usurped.

According to a statement issued by the ministry, the land belongs to the government and the process of reclaiming it will start in the near future.

Sherpur had during the 20 years of occupation under the US and NATO troops been incorporated into the city’s “Green Zone”, a highly fortified area that housed mostly government officials, NGOs and foreign contractors.

It was also directly linked to Wazir Akbar Khan’s primary “Green Zone”, or diplomatic enclave.

The area however is steeped in history, having been the site of the ill-fated siege of the British cantonment during the second Anglo-Afghan War in 1879.

It reportedly remained largely military land through the years but in September 2003, armed police and bulldozers violently ejected around 250 people from land.

According to the Middle East Institute, the authorities demolished homes to make way for lavish mansions that sprang up over the next few years; plots having been dished out to the then freshly empowered elite and allies of the interim republic government.

Given its close proximity to the city center, the Sherpur land is considered extremely valuable.

In August 2022, Sherpur again made headlines. This time when the United States allegedly took out Ayman al-Zawahiri, the leader of al-Qaeda, in a drone strike.

On Thursday however, the Islamic Emirate said that in accordance with a decree issued by their supreme leader, if land is found to have been usurped then it must be reclaimed “as soon as possible”.

The statement read: “The land, bordered to the east by streets 16, 6, and 15 of Wazir Akbar Khan; to the west by Qassabi Alley; to the north by Wazir Akbar Khan Hill and Shaheed Square; and to the south by Sher Ali Khan Road, has been reviewed by the Technical Committee of the Commission to Prevent Land Seizure and Confiscation, in coordination with Kabul Municipality.”

The Islamic Emirate claimed that no documentation had been provided by occupants to prove private ownership of the parcels of land and instead the area had been developed “arbitrarily and against planned designs.”

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) convened an inaugural meeting of the Working Group on Counter-Narcotics on Thursday, as a follow-up to the third Meeting of Special Envoys held in Doha, Qatar.

The establishment of the thematic working group follows the recommendations of the independent assessment submitted to the Security Council (S/2023/856) to pursue a more coherent, coordinated and structured engagement process with Afghanistan’s de facto authorities, for the benefit of the Afghan people, UNAMA said in a statement.

“Counter-narcotics is an issue of critical importance for Afghanistan, impacting both rural communities and regional peace and stability,” Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of UNAMA, said after the online meeting.

The United Nations recently reported that opium production increased by 30 percent this year in Afghanistan.

The Islamic Emirate, however, rejected the report.

UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday received the credentials of Badruddin Haqqani, ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

Haqqani was among several newly appointed ambassadors who presented their credentials to UAE president.

During the reception, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed welcomed the ambassadors and wished them success in strengthening the ties between the UAE and their respective countries.

He assured them of the full support of the UAE authorities to facilitate their work and ensure their missions proceed smoothly.

He reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to fostering relations with nations worldwide, based on mutual respect and collaboration for the benefit of all.