The systematic and silent purge of former Afghan officials continues under the Taliban regime, as Mohebullah Mirzad Bandari, a former Faryab Provincial Council member and ex-commander aligned with Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum, was shot dead in broad daylight in Maimana, the capital of Faryab province.
Bandari, once a prominent figure during the pre-2021 Kabul government, had fled to Iran following the Taliban takeover, like many others fearing retribution. He returned recently under the Taliban’s so-called “Commission for the Return of Expatriates,” a repatriation programme advertised as a pathway for ex-officials to return home in safety. But his killing is yet another grim reminder of what awaits those who put their trust in Taliban amnesty claims.
Local sources reported that unidentified gunmen opened fire on Bandari near the city centre Friday evening, fleeing the scene immediately. He had been staying in Ghor province but had recently travelled to Faryab at the personal invitation of the Taliban governor, only to be assassinated days later.
The Taliban has issued no statement so far, but this incident adds to a growing pattern of targeted killings, many of which remain unsolved or deliberately ignored by the regime.
Human rights observers have raised the alarm over the Taliban’s covert campaign of vengeance, which has reportedly killed hundreds of former military officials, civil servants, and security forces, despite earlier promises of general amnesty.
Notably, more than 200 Afghans linked to UK forces and agencies, including interpreters, guards, and civil staff—have been targeted and killed after the UK’s Ministry of Defence accidentally leaked their personal data in 2021. Many of them had also tried to return or remain hopeful of safe passage under international evacuation commitments.
Bandari’s murder is not an isolated case, it’s part of a larger, calculated elimination of voices and figures from the previous Afghan state. Whether under false invitations or coerced returns, the Taliban’s message is becoming clearer with each assassination: there is no safe return for those once aligned with the republic.
