Taliban ‘merit’ movement: government barred from naming relatives

The Taliban, which regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, barred Afghan officials from appointing family members to government agencies.

Taliban leader Hibeytullah Ahudzade has issued a decree ordering the authorities to fire his children and other family members. The decree required that government officials no longer appoint their family members to government posts.

After the Taliban took power, many members of the pro-Western government fled the country or were fired. The criticism that inexperienced people came to jobs through kinship relationships had been on the agenda for some time.

Recently, the appointment of his sons to government posts by senior Taliban leaders has sparked backlash.

Afghanistan is going through a difficult time due to the growing economic and humanitarian crisis after the Taliban takeover. Following the withdrawal of foreign powers from the country, cutbacks in foreign aid and sanctions against the Taliban, millions of people in the country were at risk of starvation.

The Taliban, who have provoked international reaction with their decisions on women’s rights, are still negotiating the resumption of foreign aid.