Kabul's Transformation: Roads Replace Rubble

As Kabul modernizes its streets, residents like Syed Murtaza Sadar face the loss of homes and businesses. The Taliban's revived infrastructure plan has expropriated over 11,000 properties since 2021, with the promise of better roads. While some find stability in construction jobs, others struggle with relocation and change.

Kabul is undergoing significant transformation as roads replace residential and commercial buildings, a plan initially delayed due to political and security challenges. Syed Murtaza Sadar, a barber shop owner, is among those affected, demolishing his own home to make way for the new infrastructure.

The modernization effort, spurred by the Taliban's rise to power in 2021, has seen the construction of 450 kilometers of roads and the expropriation of thousands of properties. Despite receiving compensation, property owners face the difficult transition, highlighting the mixed impact of the development.

Construction projects offer much-needed jobs in the impoverished nation, while also displacing long-standing communities. Even cemeteries are not spared, with graves being relocated to enable road expansion. The initiative promises improved connectivity, but not without significant personal and cultural costs.