The residents of Panjshir province said that the buildings of many schools have been used as military outposts by Islamic Emirate forces.

They called on the interim government to shift the security forces to military bases.

“This is a reality, and it should not be ignored that they are settled in the schools. We are witnessing that the military has settled in the schools, and it affects the morale of the students and people,” said Samiullah Sadeqqi, a resident of Panjshir.

“The military is in a school in Bazarak and thus there is less attention to schooling,” said Abid, a resident of Panjshir.

The Panjshir residents also voiced concerns saying that the presence of the military in residential areas caused panic among the people.

“The military are in the schools and villages. We call on the Islamic Emirate to pull back the military from this area,” said Mian Ahmad Elham, a resident of Panjshir.

“If this issue is followed by the senior leaders who prevent such actions, it will be great,” said Rizwanullah, a resident of Panjshir.

The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that the issue will be shared with the military officials to find a solution for it.

“We shared this issue with the officials in Panjshir to find a substitute path for the military who are settled there to prevent security issues, so that the schools will be evacuated. We also shared this issue with the education ministry,” Mujahid said.

A military commander in Panjshir, Shir Hamza, said that 700 checkpoints have been established in the province.

“So far, 700 checkpoints have been established all over of these hills," he said. 

In March of 2023, the provincial department of education said that at least 28 schools had been occupied by the military in Panjshir.