Taliban leader Qari Jamsheed Munawar has allegedly committed another serious violation of human rights by marrying an underage girl in Afghanistan.
The allegations were shared on social media by Gulchehra Yafti, head of the Afghanistan Women’s Aid Foundation, who posted images showing a young girl with a significantly older man—scenes that reportedly point to forced or child marriage.
Gulchehra Yafti stated that the girl should have been attending school and planning her education and future, but instead became a victim of what she described as the lust and exploitation of Qari Jamsheed Munawar, also known as Damla Shaheen, identified as a Talib from Badakhshan. She alleged that Mullah Shaheen used deception and pressure to break the girl’s previous engagement and forcibly married her, despite her being underage.
She stressed that such an act is neither in accordance with religion nor morally acceptable, calling it equivalent to bargaining over the life of an innocent child—something no person of conscience can justify.
In the circulated image, the girl appears serious and distressed, dressed in white with a light-coloured dupatta and headscarf, while the man is seen smiling, wearing a long beard, traditional cap and waistcoat, holding the girl’s hand.
دختربچه‌ای که باید امروز در مکتب باشد و به فکر آینده و دانشش باشد، قربانی هوس و سوءاستفاده قاری جمشید منور، مشهور به داملا شاهین طالب بدخشانی، شده است. او با فریب و فشار، دختری زیر سن قانونی را که نامزد داشت، از نامزدی جدا کرده و به نکاح خود درآورده است. این عمل نه دین است و نه… pic.twitter.com/SoOzdpiRzZ
— Golchehrah Yaftali (@womenaidafghan1) January 9, 2026
The incident highlights the growing problem of child marriages and the exploitation of young girls in Afghanistan, where poverty, economic collapse and social pressure are forcing families to marry off minors.
According to reports by the United Nations and UNICEF:
Nearly 30% of girls under the age of 18 in Afghanistan are married, with around 10% married before the age of 15.
Due to worsening economic conditions, the rate of child marriage is expected to rise further during 2025–2026.
In some cases, girls as young as six to nine years old are reportedly being sold or promised in marriage.
Experts warn that this situation poses severe risks to girls’ education, physical health and long-term wellbeing, with many minors exposed to domestic abuse, psychological trauma and early pregnancies.
