Telegraph: Taliban Made Millions and Helped Built the World Cup Stadiums

A recent report shared by the Telegraph offers insights into how the Taliban officials earned high incomes, and simultaneously helped build the stadiums for World Cup in Qatar.

According to Telegraph, many Taliban officials who were involved in the Peace Talks received high salaries. Many of them, then, subcontracted heavy machinery for tournament infrastructure over the past several years, which helped them earn up to £10,000/machine per month.

The report maintains that 2 senior Taliban sources have shed light into how the officials were given lucrative allowances to live in the country throughout negotiations, which they later invested in heavy construction machinery. Meanwhile, it is maintained that the Taliban authorities were receiving a monthly stipend from the Qatari authorities worth thousands of pounds, approved by the US and UN, as part of the facilitation of peace talks. They were reportedly also provided with luxury SUVs, free health care, and regular food deliveries.

According to Telegraph, tracking how and where the money was spent was difficult for the US and Qatari authorities, as it was initially paid in cash, then later transferred into the Taliban officials’ bank accounts.

“Multiple sources allege that a Taliban middleman living in Doha, Haji Ahmad Jan, the former minister of petroleum and mines in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001, oversaw the leasing of machines to construction companies responsible for building the World Cup stadiums and infrastructure. Haji Ahmad Jan has been approached for comment”, states Telegraph in the ‘Open Secret’ portion of the report. However, the telegraph states that the Taliban have denied being involved in the construction of the stadium for the World Cup.

This is while in Afghanistan, Taliban have announced a return to the extreme laws that were implemented in the 1990s, which they associate with ‘Shari Law’, schools and most universities for women have been closed for over a year, and Taliban have announced instances of extreme laws, such as lashings, taking place across the country.