AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The forced evacuation took place in the afternoon after students and others remained inside the compound beyond a deadline of around 10 a.m. Taliban forces had earlier ordered those inside the seminary to leave the premises.
Most students and other occupants have now been removed from the complex. However, a limited number of teachers whose homes are located inside the seminary compound have reportedly been temporarily allowed to remain.
It remains unclear how long the teachers will be permitted to stay or what the Taliban authorities ultimately plan to do with the seminary building.
The latest development follows two days of pressure on the Khatam al-Nabieen Seminary. Taliban forces affiliated with the Ministry of Justice reportedly entered the complex and surrounded the building two days earlier, demanding that it be evacuated.
The move was met with opposition from teachers, students and some members of the local community. Reports also emerged during the standoff that several teachers, students and other people present at the seminary had been detained.
The attempted closure and evacuation of the institution have sparked widespread reactions among Afghan Shia scholars, religious figures and activists, who have described the seminary as one of the country's important Shia religious and educational centers. They have called for the dispute to be resolved through legal channels rather than through the use of force.
At the center of the dispute is the ownership of the land on which the Khatam al-Nabieen Seminary was built.
The Taliban claimed in 1403 of the Solar Hijri calendar that the seminary had been constructed on state-owned land. Seminary officials and trustees have rejected the claim, saying they possess religious and legal documents proving that the property does not belong to the government.
They have maintained that the ownership dispute should be resolved through a legal and judicial process based on the available documents.
Despite these claims, Taliban forces moved ahead with the forced removal of students from the complex. As of the time of reporting, the Taliban's Ministry of Justice had not issued a new public statement explaining the legal basis for the forced evacuation, the future of the building, or the status of the teachers still allowed to remain inside the compound.
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