Taliban urges Pakistan to grant more time for undocumented Afghans to leave
Pakistan has given 1.7 million undocumented Afghans in the country until November 1 to leave voluntarily or be deported.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government has urged Pakistan to give undocumented Afghans in the country more time to leave as pressure mounts at border posts where thousands of returnees have gathered, fleeing the threat of deportation.
The Pakistani government has given 1.7 million undocumented Afghans in the country until November 1 to leave voluntarily or be forcibly removed.
Pakistan has said it will begin an effort on Thursday to round up and expel anyone still in the country, after setting the deadline in October to begin expelling all undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans.
Afghanistan girls education activist Matiullah Wesa released by Taliban
Wesa, who travelled the country campaigning for girls to have access to education, freed after seven months in prison.
An Afghan rights campaigner who advocated for girls’ inclusion in education has been released by Taliban authorities after seven months in jail.
Matiullah Wesa, who travelled the country campaigning for girls to have access to education, was arrested in March for “propaganda against the government”.
He was released on Thursday and was “on his way home”, his brother told the Agence France-Presse news agency.
A spokesperson for the Taliban administration confirmed Wesa’s release.
The UN’s top expert on human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, welcomed Wesa’s release but highlighted the plight of hundreds of other activists targeted by the Taliban.
“I welcome the release of Matiullah Wesa and call for the immediate & unconditional release of all #Afghanistan human rights defenders who are arbitrarily detained for standing up for their own rights & the human rights of others,” he wrote on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.
Afghanistan’s Herat province hit by third earthquake in nearly a week
The western province of Herat in Afghanistan has been hit with a magnitude 6.3 earthquake – its third since powerful quakes on October 8 killed more than 2,000 people.
It was followed by a magnitude 5.5 aftershock 20 minutes later, it said.
The effect of Sunday’s earthquakes is still unclear, but the AFP news agency quoted Abdul Qadeem Mohammadi, head doctor at Herat Regional Hospital, as saying “so far 93 injured and one dead have been registered”.
Another magnitude 6.3 earthquake had hit about 40km (25 miles) northwest of Herat eight days ago, with several strong aftershocks of lesser magnitude following.
That earthquake had proven devastating, levelling a large number of rural homes and killing 2,053 people, according to Taliban officials.
Reports indicate many citizens of the area still slept outside as the quake hit on Sunday, fearing their homes crumbling and trapping them under rubble.
Dust storms followed the quakes, which only made living situations worse and damaged the tents that survivors lived in.
“Herat’s people are panicked and scared,” AFP quoted 27-year-old shopkeeper Hamid Nizami as saying. “It’s Allah’s blessing that it happened during the day, people were awake.”
“Many of our countrymen don’t have any place to live and nights are getting colder.”
As thousands still live around the ruins of homes where entire families were wiped out in an instant last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) says nearly 20,000 people have been affected by the string of disasters, with women and children making up most of the deaths.
Taliban authorities, who seized power in August 2021 after the withdrawal of US forces, are struggling to provide assistance as the country is already facing a humanitarian challenge, and does not have strong relations with international aid organisations.
Many volunteers had to dig up survivors and bodies with nothing but their bare hands after last week’s earthquakes.
No country has officially recognised the Taliban government, and Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis was exacerbated after many countries withdrew foreign aid.
World Red Cross warning about humanitarian crisis after Herat earthquakes
The area of Herat Hospital was full of injured people after the second Herat earthquake on Wednesday.
The International Federation of Red Cross warned of a humanitarian crisis after the recent devastating and deadly earthquakes in Herat. In a statement, this federation asked for international support and immediate action and said that only 36% of the 130 million dollars requested was provided.
Despite the commitment of aid or the arrival of part of the aid shipments of some countries and organizations, a number of aid organizations express concern about ignoring the plight of the survivors of the deadly earthquake in Herat.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, about 1,300 people died and 1,700 others were injured in Herat’s 6.3-magnitude earthquake on October 07.
In the second earthquake in the same region on October 11, 6.3 villages were severely destroyed and dozens of people were injured.
Estimates show that more than 12,000 people have been injured in five districts in Herat.
Compensation for 300 Properties Paid Out to Owners
Kabul Municipality department has announced the start of six other public benefit projects in the near future in Kabul.
Kabul Municipality reported that in the last two years, the acquisition rights of more than three hundred properties have been paid to their owners.
Kabul Municipality said that among the owners of these properties, there are people whose houses were acquired ten years ago.
“Since the conquest of the Islamic Emirate until now, three hundred and twenty-eight properties have been acquired, the total value of which is 244 million Afghanis, which has been paid to their owners,” said Mohammad Khalid Sajistanini, the deputy of Urban Services and Environmental Protection department of Kabul Municipality.
The director of acquisition of Kabul Municipality announced the beginning of the process of acquiring houses in different areas of Kabul, adding that the process of distributing compensation has also started for the owners whose ownership and identity have been established.
The properties of persons that are acquired, those persons who have personal property, they need to stabilize the property in accordance with the law,” said Mohammad Hanif.
At the same time, the representative of Kabul Municipality said that the acquisition rights of past and future projects will be paid from the internal revenues of Kabul Municipality.
“The entire budget comes from the internal revenue of Kabul Municipality. Kabul municipality has sources of income…,” said Nimatullah Barakzai, An official of the municipality.
Kabul Municipality department has announced the start of six other public benefit projects in the near future in Kabul.
IFRC Calls for “Immediate Int Support” to Afghans
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said that it “urgently reiterates” its call for immediate action and international support as Afghanistan is facing an escalating humanitarian crisis following a devastating series of earthquakes in the western provinces.
The IFRC in a statement stressed that an existing appeal for 120 million Swiss Francs remains critically underfunded, with only 36 percent raised.
Two deadly earthquakes shocked the western province of Herat on October 7 and 11, the first caused over 2,400 deaths and injuries to over 2,000 people.
Around 140 people were wounded in the second earthquake that happened on October 11.
The US special envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas West, said on X that Washington is providing “$12 million in immediate humanitarian assistance following the earthquakes that struck northwestern Afghanistan October 7 and 11.”
“Assistance will provide much-needed supplies: safe drinking water; emergency shelter kits; materials to cook & collect water; blankets,” he said.
Beijing has also announced emergency humanitarian assistance of 30 million yuan ($4.11 million) to the victims of earthquakes, Chinese media reported, quoting Xu Wei, a spokesperson for the China International Development Cooperation Agency.
Mir Shikib Mir, an economist, said: “The people of Afghanistan, particularly the vulnerable people in Herat, need the international assistance. The aid now has a vital importance to the people of Afghanistan.”
Speaking at a press conference, Stéphane Dujarric said that the response to the people affected by the earthquake continues and the “international colleagues are working with local partners to support impacted communities.”
Declaration of solidarity of 540 Iranian civil activists with Afghan immigrants; "Let's not let them drag us into the abyss of racism and hatred.
At the same time as the unprecedented wave of attacks on Afghan immigrants in Iran, 540 Iranian civil activists, journalists, artists, academics, lawyers and doctors “declared solidarity” with the immigrants by publishing a statement.
They have emphasized that “some” want to drag the society “into the abyss of racism and hatred”.
The published statement says: “Unfortunately, since the last days of summer, we have seen the formation of a trend against Afghan immigrants.”
Respected Broumand, Rakhshan Bani-e-Etamad, Jila Bani-Yaqub, Kazem Kordavani, Esmat Bahrami, Shahnoosh Parsipour, Parviz Parastoi, , Majid Dari, Behrouz Granpayeh, Ahmadi Karimi. Among the signatories of this statement are Hakak, Azam Vise and Badr al-Sadat Mofidi.
In the past days, reports of attacks on the homes of immigrants have been published in a number of Iranian cities. In one case, on 19 /Mizan, a group attacked the house of Afghan immigrants in Qazvin town of Iqbalieh , and its video was widely reflected on social networks.
Limitations on Afghan Women Harms 20-year Gains
Lord Ahmad, UK’s Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia, who was also speaking at the meeting said that women and girls’ rights have had setbacks in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of foreign troops from the country.
Lord Ahmad said that ongoing limitations on Afghan women and girls will damage the gains of the past two decades in Afghanistan.
“And I think many of the gains that we were able to achieve, particularly on the rights of minorities, on the rights of women and girls and the progress we saw in education — those are real setbacks on what we had achieved and that has been reflected and evidenced by what we have seen in the subsequent… I think it is deep regret for many who operated that NATO team,” said Lord Ahmad, UK’s Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia.
The British official also criticized the Afghan caretaker government’s policies against Afghan women and girls.
“The Taliban’s philosophy is nothing to do with Islam, it is a draconian subversive philosophy which is against different people and different communities and as we know against women and girls,” said Lord Ahmad, UK’s Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia.
Lord Ahmad further added that UK has provided the Afghan people with over a half million pounds in the first 18 months of the Taliban group rule over Afghanistan.
“We provided over half a million pounds in that first 18 months… to reach 50 percent Afghan women with our humanitarian assistance,” said Lord Ahmad, UK’s Minister of State for the Middle East, North Africa, South Asia.
Earlier, UK’s defense minister, in his interview with the Daily Mail on the first anniversary of the caretaker government, said that the UK had come with correct goals to Afghanistan and added that the UK had done much for Afghanistan’s security, economic development, education and other sectors while arguing that the goals had failed.
He had also said that UK’s mission in Afghanistan failed with the loss of hundreds of its soldiers.
Climate Change Negatively Impacting Afghanistan
The UNAMA Climate Change Officer said Afghanistan is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world and needs to work together in this field.
Officials of the Environmental Protection Agency called on the international community to resume suspended projects to mitigate the impacts of climate change in Afghanistan.
The head of UNAMA’s Environmental Protection Division (UNAMA) told TOLOnews on a visit to Kandahar that Afghanistan is now facing a high threat of climate change issues.
Charity Watson said that it needs to work collaboratively to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change in the country.
“We are looking very closely at this issue. Climate change resilience in Afghanistan cannot wait and we are exploring what are the possibilities for opening up the suspended climate financing mechanism, we cannot promise anything but we are looking at this issue closely,” said Charity Watson, head of the Department of Environmental Protection of UNAMA.
Together, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials are calling on the international community to restart suspended projects to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change worth more than $800 million in Afghanistan.
“The 32 projects being implemented in Afghanistan were worth nearly $826 million and were in the diversity of life, forests and fighting drought,” said Muhibullah Bahar, representative of the National Environmental Protection Agency.
A number of citizens also called on the acting government to do more to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change in the country.
“We call on the international community and our friendly and neighboring countries, especially the United Nations, to cooperate in this regard,” said Taqi Sadat, Bamyan resident.
“One of the main reasons for this is the lack of water and seedlings that we face,” said Jawid Ahmad, a Kandahar resident.
According to environmental experts, repeated droughts, reduced rains and lower groundwater levels are the negative effects of climate change in the country.
"Fly Dubai" airline resumes its flights to Kabul
Fly Dubai announced the resumption of flights to Kabul and is the first international airline to resume flights from the UAE to Afghanistan since the return of the Taliban in the summer of 2021.
This Dubai-based airline said that it will start flying twice a day from Dubai to Kabul and vice versa from November 15 this year.
Previously, the private airlines “Kam Air” and “Ariana” had direct flights between Kabul and Dubai and other destinations including Moscow, Islamabad and Istanbul.
With the chaotic withdrawal of international forces and tens of thousands of people from Kabul airport/airport as the Taliban returned, the airport was out of commission for several months and almost all flights into Kabul were halted.
But in the past year, several airlines, including from Iran, resumed their flights to Kabul and several other cities.
A few months ago, direct flights from Afghanistan to China resumed after about two years.
Contracts for 53 Mines Signed in 1402
According to officials in the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, memorandum of understandings has been signed in the field of mineral extraction for iron, lead and precious stones.
“A total of nine large-scale mines have been contracted and 44 small-scale mines. “Large mines are left to domestic and foreign companies and small mines to domestic companies only,” said Hamayun Afghan, the spokesman of the ministry.
Afghan emphasized that the processing of raw materials in the country is a condition laid down by the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum for all contracts.
“In no way will the raw materials be exported from the country for processing,” he said.
On the other hand, the Chamber of Commerce and Investment said that until Afghanistan becomes self-sufficient, 100% processing will not be possible in the country.
“We are trying to extract our mines in such a way that the process takes place in Afghanistan, but by the time we get to the process, we have to have 50 percent of the process here and then go abroad,” said Yuunus Momand, First Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment.
Some experts insist that mining should be done in a standard way.
“It is better that a commission be established in this sector and at the head of the commission there should be professional people who are under the control of the Islamic Emirate,” said Maiwand Samadi, an economic analyst.
“There are two important issues in mines: the first is how Afghanistan’s mines are extracted, whether they are extracted technically or professionally, or the former way that is non-technical, and non-technical ones whose losses were more than their benefits,” said Abdul Nasir Rashtia, another analyst.
Most of the foreign companies that have won contracts for Afghan mines are from Iran, Turkey, China and the UK.
Iran Reaches Agreements with Afghanistan in Trade Development
Iran’s Ambassador to Kabul Hassan Kazemi Qomi, said they have agreed to create an Iran-Afghanistan chamber, trade development, to provide of facilities in the transit sector and investment in the agricultural sector.
“The creation of the Iran-Afghanistan Joint Chamber is one of the ways for introducing the capabilities and relative economic benefits of the two nations. The Chamber of Commerce of the two countries is responsible for the introduction of companies and entrepreneurship of economic banks. This is one of the things we agreed on,” Qomi noted.
Meanwhile, the acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, said that the ministry is trying to boost the level of exports with Iran.
“There has always been a big difference in Afghanistan’s trade balance. Our export was about twenty million dollars, and from Iran it was about $2 billion,” Azizi noted.
“We are trying to find the characteristic of each soil of each province and use it according to its characteristic and use the modified eggs and researched eggs from Iran,” the Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Ataullah Omari, said.
According to the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, the cost of transporting goods through Iran is high, and Afghans urged that attention should be paid to reducing the prices.
In the meantime, the Afghanistan Railway Authority wrote on social media that on Tuesday the authority signed an agreement with the Iranian Railway Consortium for the use of the Khawaf-Herat railway.
The authority wrote that, based on the agreement, Iran will send 100,000 tons of goods by this route in the first year and this level will increase by 100,000 tons every year.
At the signing of the agreement ceremony, the head of the Afghanistan Railway Authority, Bakht-ur-Rahman Sharafat, said that the construction of the first phase of the fourth section of the Khawaf-Herat line will start next week.
This comes as acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi in a meeting with Sardar Yaqub Ali Nazari, the governor of Iran’s Khorasan Razavi province, emphasized the need for bilateral cooperation between Kabul and Tehran.
Abdul Qahar Balkhi, the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote on social media that Muttaqi in the meeting said that now security in the country, and commercial and economic cooperation are better than in the past.
Balkhi wrote that in the meeting Yaqub Ali Nazari called for the creation of special teams for work and expertise coordination between the ministries of the two countries as a new step for further cooperation and development.
On Sunday, over 80 Iranian businessmen came to Afghanistan to provide facilities for businessmen and to boost trade between the two countries.
Kabul Ready to Pay Cost of Afghan Portion of TAPI
The Islamic Emirate said that it is ready to pay the cost of the TAPI project which is related to Afghanistan.
The spokesman for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, Homayoun Afghan, said that now security has been ensured in the country, and that the de facto government has also resolved the acquisition of land for the TAPI project.
“Turkmenistan contributes to the support, as does Afghanistan and other nations like Pakistan and India. God willing, we are prepared to begin work whenever it begins, and if no alternative can be found, we are prepared to support ourselves,” the spokesman noted.
“The Tapi project is one of the vital projects for our country. Afghanistan is fully prepared to start this project, but you know that the project is related to four countries, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. It is necessary for them to be ready to start too,” said Zabihullah Mujahid, the caretaker government spokesman.
This comes as, in the last two years, there was talk about the start of the TAPI project, but so far its practical work has not started.
Meanwhile, the Afghanistan Chamber of Industry and Mines said that starting large projects, particularly the TAPI project, is essential for the nation’s economic development and the creation of jobs for its people.
“We hope that practical work on this project will start. With the start of the TAPI project, an economic transformation will take place in Afghanistan, even if this is transferred to Herat, this will also be a big achievement for the Afghan economy,” said Sakhi Ahmad Paiman, first deputy of the chamber.
According to some economists, the regional competition has caused the TAPI project to not start in a practical way.
“The main reason TAPI is not progressing is because of the problem and political conflict between Pakistan and India. The Pakistanis, who compete with the Indians, do not expect at all to provide a sustainable and stable source of energy for India, who is their rival,” said Sayed Masoud, an economist.
“This project is now facing two major issues; the first is the recognition of the Islamic Emirate, which has slowed it down and is the subject of continuing negotiations. Another major problem of this project is the bilateral tensions between the countries involved, especially the dispute between India and Pakistan,” said Seiyar Qurishi, another economist.
The TAPI project starts from Turkmenistan and reaches India after passing through the territory of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
In Afghanistan, The TAPI project crosses through Herat, Farah, Nimroz, Helmand and Kandahar to Pakistan and India.
The pipeline will span 1,814 km with 735 km of it crossing through Afghanistan.
Along with creating jobs for thousands of people, Afghanistan will make more than $400 million a year from the execution of this project.
Exhibition of Women's Handicrafts Held in Capital
Businesswomen in the capital have held an exhibition for the purpose of marketing their handicrafts.
These women want the authorities of the de facto government to provide them with opportunities in the trade sector and to organize exhibitions abroad.
“For eighteen years, I have been doing the same crafts, such as beadwork, leather embroidery, Afghani cloths,” said Awlia Muhraban, a businesswoman.
“This is to showcase the works of women who were less seen and did not have such a role,” said Zuhal Ataye, a businesswoman.
Visitors said they consider such exhibitions to be beneficial for the growth of the country’s business.
“I think that holding such exhibitions, on the one hand, makes the society more dynamic and empowers the women and men of the society, those who are entrepreneurs…,” said Jawed Ahmadi, a visitor.
“Our request from the caretaker government is that everyone should support us in the field we are in so that we can build a good future for our dear Afghanistan,” said Shugofa Ayani, a visitor.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Information and Culture said that they support businesswomen in the country.
“Our brothers and sisters and compatriots who work in the sector, we appreciate their work and support … them,” said Muhajir Farahi, deputy of the ministry.
Earlier, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce said that after the establishment of the Taliban group in the country, they have distributed work permits to more than a thousand women.
Contracts Signed to Run Cement Plant with Qatari, Afghan Companies
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum (MoMP) signed contracts for the Jabal Saraj Parwan cement plant with a Qatari company and two domestic companies worth more than $200 million.
Speaking at the signing meeting, the acting Minister of Petroleum and Mines, Shahabuddin Delawar, said that this contract will last for 30 years and that one and a half million tons of cement will be produced annually from the cement plant.
“We will be self-sufficient in cement production in the next one or two years, and we may also export cement,” Delawar said.
The acting Minister of Petroleum and Mines called investment in the country important for economic growth and development.
He said that in January 2024, 1,000 tons of oil will be extracted from the Qashgari mine.
“In January, our oil extraction will increase to 1,000 tons. Yesterday I saw the global price, one ton is $709 dollars,” Delawar said.
Meanwhile, the official said that with the implementation of this project, employment opportunities will be provided for five thousand people in Afghanistan.
“Our company had over ten months of negotiations with the Ministry of Mines, and we achieved an agreement. After signing this contract, we will start our operations in Afghanistan as soon as feasible,” said the head of the Qatari company.
In the meeting, an official of MCC China said they want to extract the Logar Mes Aynak copper in a practical way.
“We hope that the Mes Aynak copper project will proceed under the leadership of the minister, and we will see the day when the work of Mes Aynak copper starts, and we will witness the same stage and development,” said a representative of MCC company.
Earlier, the Deputy Ministry of Mines and Petroleum also gave a local firm the contract for the cement in Kandahar, and that company invested $100 million in the project, which will have a production capacity of 1 million tons of cement annually.
Afghanistan’s agricultural exports total $2 billion in first four months of 2023
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock says the volume of agricultural exports from Afghanistan in the first four months of this year totaled $2 billion dollars.
According to officials in this ministry, the export volume of agricultural products has increased significantly compared to last year.
“In the first four months of the year, $2 billion worth of exports were made, the largest part of which is agricultural products, and this year, when it is now the fruit season and exports have started, it is expected that the amount of exports will be higher than in the past,” said Misbahuddin Mostain, the spokesman of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
The Chamber of Agriculture and Livestock also says a good amount of agricultural products are regularly exported, although problems do arise from time-to-time.
“In the export sector, our traders were able to export, but recently, due to the blocking of the Torkham crossing and the blocking of the Kabul-Jalalabad highway, our traders could not continue their exports. The businessman has suffered, and we can share the exact export figures only when fruits and vegetables are harvested at the end of the season,” said Mirwais Hajizada, the deputy head of the chamber of agriculture and livestock.
Experts believe that Afghanistan is an agricultural country, which provides jobs for hundreds of thousands of people. They also believe the more produce exported, the better the chance of growing Afghanistan’s economy.
However, an Iranian official has said that in the first six months of this year, Tehran has exported 35,195 tons of agricultural products to Afghanistan through the Dogharon Customs crossing. According to Iranian media reports, the country’s agricultural director added that in the first half of this year, 4,467 tons of agricultural products were imported from Afghanistan to Iran via this route.
Freight train from China arrives in Afghanistan
Afghanistan Railway Authority (ARA) says a freight train carrying goods from China arrived in Hairatan land port on Monday after crossing Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
The freight train, with 22 wagons, was filled with vehicle parts, ARA officials said.
ARA head Bakht-ur-Rahman Sharafat says the caretaker government is committed to expanding trade relations with all countries – near and far.
Sharaf said that connecting Afghanistan with other countries through a railway line can accelerate the country’s quest for self-sufficiency.
“Let’s think broadly, let’s think about the region, we assure you that the development of Afghanistan is the development of Uzbekistan,” he said.
Meanwhile, a representative of Uzbekistan has assured the traders of providing more facilities to address business activities.
“We are with Afghanistan to facilitate the transfer of commercial goods, and the work on the Trans-Afghan railway also continues,” said the representative.
Last year, an agreement for the transfer of commercial goods from China to Afghanistan was signed between officials of the IEA, China, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan.
According to officials, 42 containers of commercial goods have so far reached Afghanistan from China through this economic corridor.
1, 2, 5 AFN banknotes to enter circulation
Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) officials have announced that 1, 2 and 5 Afghani (AFN) notes will enter circulation from today (Wednesday).
According to a statement released the government’s media center in Balkh province, Zia-ur-Rahman Madani, DAB’s sub-director for northern zone, said that 1, 2 and 5 afghani banknotes are valid and citizens can use them in their transactions.
He said that the previous government removed these banknotes for personal interests and now the problem has been solved.
According to Madani, currently there are about one million Afghanis in the treasury of Da Afghanistan Bank, which will start entering circulation from today.
Afghan Shipping Companies in China Complain of Pakistan Restrictions
An association of Afghan exporters and importers residing in China raised concerns about the imposition of restrictions by the Pakistani government on the transit of commodities.
The head of the association, Khan Agha Gulzad, said that the traders have sustained millions of dollars in losses as their goods remained stranded in Karachi in Pakistan.
The restrictions will “deteriorate the Afghan economy overtime. The goods are mainly from the individuals who don’t have high investment—someone who invested between $50,000 to $60,000,” he said.
Meanwhile, some of the traders called on the de facto government to address the challenges faced by Afghanistan’s business sector.
“We respectfully ask the caretaker government to solve the issue through an understanding and diplomatic path,” said Sayed Zabiullah, a trader.
A member of the executive board of the Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Investment, Zalmai Azimi, said that if Pakistan doesn’t remove the restrictions, the traders will use substitute paths to transit their goods.
“We have yet to realize why Pakistan has stopped our containers in Karachi. The policy is unclear and so are the existing restrictions,” he said.
Earlier, Pakistan had stopped more than 200 types of goods from being imported to Afghanistan.
Afghanistan exports LPG storage tanks to Uzbekistan
A private company in Herat manufactures LPG storage tanks and has signed a contract for exports to Uzbekistan.
The company’s officials say that around $2 million have been invested in the factory and the construction of each storage tank costs about $25,000.
“We have a five-tank contract with Uzbekistan. These are the samples of tanks. If they accept the samples, the next contract will be 16 tanks, and the next contract will be 30 and 35 tanks,” Mohammad Akbar, the company’s director, said.
Hamidullah Khadim, head of Herat Chamber of Industries and Mines, said: “Manufacturing and exporting gas storage tanks is not easy. Maybe this is a small step in the eyes of some people, but I think that today we took the most fundamental step in industry.”
Local authorities in Herat emphasized on the importance of quality of domestic products. The governor of Herat said that in order to gain people’s trust and use domestic products, it is necessary for domestic companies to pay attention to the quality of their products.
“We are proud to say that the food items produced in Herat industrial township can compete with the region in terms of weight and quality,” Noor Ahmad Islamjar, the governor of Herat, said.
This company can produce storage tanks with a capacity of 500 kg to 100 tons.
A painting and art exhibition was held in Ghor under the name "Naqsh-e Qalam".
A number of artists gathered in Ghor province and held an exhibition under the name of Naqsh al-Qalam to celebrate International Artist Day and sympathize with the earthquake victims of Herat and the Palestinian people.
Homayoun Arefi, one of the organizers of this exhibition, says that more than 700 paintings and art works of Ghor province artists have been exhibited in this art program.
Some other artists in this exhibition ask the caretaker government to support them, so that they can display their artistic assets.
The visitors of this painting and art exhibition welcomed the holding of this art program and emphasized on holding these programs in the future.
On the other hand, the cultural authorities of Ghor, by announcing support for the painters of this province, say that holding this art program will strengthen the artists.
According to the authorities, in this three-day exhibition, paintings of the beauty of the country, the recent Herat earthquake, and also Israel’s attacks on the innocent people of Palestine have been displayed.
World Artist Day; A three-day photo exhibition was opened in Ghor
A three-day photo exhibition has been opened in Ghor, on the occasion of International Artist Day and in support of Herat earthquake victims and Palestinian citizens. A number of artists in Ghor have exhibited their works of art today (Wednesday, 3rd Scorpio) on the occasion of International Artist Day and in support of Herat earthquake victims and Palestinian citizens in this three-day exhibition.
The organizers of this photo exhibition say that more than 750 works of art by male and female artists have been displayed in this exhibition in support of the earthquake victims of Herat and the citizens of Palestine.
Homayoun Arefi, the person in charge of organizing this photo exhibition, says: “In this exhibition, we honored the International Artist Day and shared the grief with the people of Herat and Palestine.” More than 50 artists have participated in this exhibition, including women, and we have exhibited more than the pain of the people and nature of Afghanistan, and there are more than 750 works.
Some of the artists and participants of this exhibition, while sympathizing with the earthquake victims of Herat and the citizens of Palestine, say that their works of art show the sadness of the people and also display the cultural and artistic works of the society.
They have also asked the government to support the cultural and artistic works of artists.
Hamdullah Fanous, an artist in Ghor, says: “The subjects worked here show the sadness, culture and traditions of the society, which is in two parts; One part is the situation of the Herat earthquake victims and the other part includes the ancient monuments and the beauty of the homeland. “Such exhibitions have positive effects on the culture and art of the country, and we want the support of the government for holding this exhibition.”
Muhammad Ahmadi, a subscriber, says: “I congratulate the International Artist’s Day and I want to send a message of sympathy to the earthquake-stricken people of Herat and the suffering people of Palestine.
A charity builds buildings for schools across the country
A charity organization named “Qais Arghandiwal” is building 68 buildings for a number of girls’ and boys’ schools across the country.
Mohammad Qais Arghandiwal, the head of this charitable institution, says that they have undertaken this program at their own expense in order to provide a better educational environment to male and female students in different provinces.
According to the official of Qais Arghandiwal charity organization, the process of repairing schools started yesterday in Jowzjan. This is despite the fact that yesterday (Wednesday, 3rd of Scorpio) the foundation stone of a school building was laid in “Shahid General Abdul Hakim Kahraman” high school in Jowzjan.
Mohammad Tahir Javad, head of education in Jowzjan, says that this building will be built with eight classrooms at a cost of two million Afghanis. According to him, its construction will be completed in two months.
The Head of Education of Jowzjan adds that about three thousand male and female students are studying in Abdul Hakim Kahramanov High School, and according to him, with the completion of the new repair of this school, 1,500 students will be provided with a safe environment for education.
Previously, the head of education in Jowzjan said that 127 schools in this province do not have standard buildings and more than 40,000 students study in the open air and under tents.
A group of young people have built 10 water dams in Nangarhar at public expense
A group of young people and professional engineers in Haskemina district of Nangarhar province have started efforts to fight drought for some time and they want to solve the problems of water scarcity in this district by building small water dams.
These young people say that the people pay for the construction of these dams, and so far, 10 water dams have been built in Haskemineh district with a capacity of 35,000 cubic meters of water.
Parviz Shinwari, one of these engineers, tells Salam Watandar that these dams were built using local materials. He adds that these dams will also be very effective in preventing floods in the region.
Three years since the attack on Kausar Danesh educational center; Some of the wounded have not yet returned to normal life
Three years after the bloody attack on Kausar Danesh educational center in Dasht Barchi area, west of Kabul city, some of the injured have not returned to normal life and are living with physical and mental injuries caused by this event.
A number of students who were injured in the suicide attacker’s attack on Kausar Danesh educational center on 3 Aqrab 1399, told Salam Vatandar that due to physical and mental injuries, they had problems in carrying out their daily lives.
Ruhollah Azizi, who is 22 years old and was injured in several areas in the attack on Kausar Danesh educational center three years ago and now has three scars on his body, says that after the incident in Kausar Danesh, he cannot do many physical tasks.
He adds: “My current condition is not satisfactory, I still have pain in my chest, back and leg, and our life has not returned to normal like before the accident. In my daily life, I can’t do anything that requires physical ability, I can’t do heavy work, I can’t exercise, life is not the same as before, and it’s hard to feel disabled in a traditional society.”
Marwa Karimi (pseudonym), one of the other victims of the attack on Kausar Danesh educational center, says that losing the ability to continue her studies has changed her life. He adds: “I had eaten six, others were killed; But there is one hole that is in the vertebra of my back; Because it is inside the ventricle and does not stretch. Now, this guy sometimes gets in the way of the cage. After this attack, I missed school; “I couldn’t walk because I had a severe wound.” These students say that due to the non-availability of treatment facilities in the country and the economic inability of their families to transport them abroad, they have not been able to treat the physical damage of this event
Afghanistan’s pain and suffering showcased at photographic exhibition in Berlin
A photo exhibition titled Freedom of Speech for Afghanistan was held in Berlin, Germany, on Sunday to highlight the challenges and resilience of freedom of expression in Afghanistan.
The exhibition organized by Ahmad Shah Azimi, a photojournalist from Afghanistan, was aimed at conveying the pain and suffering of the people of Afghanistan while emphasizing the importance of preserving freedom of expression.
The exhibition featured dozens of images captured by Azimi and other photographers from Afghanistan.
This is Azimi, a photojournalist and member of the leadership of the Afghanistan Journalists Support Organization’s (AJSO), third exhibition in Europe.
He said that each photograph should carry a powerful message about the situation in Afghanistan and the struggle for freedom of expression.
By showcasing these images, Azimi seeks to raise awareness among both the people in Afghanistan and the international community.
Afghanistan Crushes England in ODI World Cup
The Afghanistan National Cricket team defeated England by 69 runs in the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup on Sunday in India.
England won the toss and elected to field first.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran opened the batting for Afghanistan.
Gurbaz’s quick 80 runs of 57 balls at the beginning and Ikram Ali’s 58 runs of 66 balls helped team Afghanistan to put a total of 285 runs target for England.
England’s opener batters were Johny Bairstow and Dawid Malan.
For Afghanistan, Faroqi took the first wicket of Johny Bairstow.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid Khan took three wickets each.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman took 3 wickets for 51 runs and Rashid Khan 3 wickets for 37 runs.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman also become man of the match. Mohammad Nabi took 2 wickets for 16 runs.
England made a total of 215 runs at 40.3 overs with the loss of all players.
The match was held in Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
Afghanistan’s last two matches were against Bangladesh and India.
Afghans Beat Mongolia Again in World Cup, Asia Cup Qualifier
Afghanistan defeated Mongolia 1-0 and advanced to the second qualifying round of the 2026 World Cup and 2027 Asian Cup.
The match was held in Mongolia.
The single goal of the match was scored in Afghanistan’s favor by Farshad Noor in the second half of the game.
Players in their first match also defeated Mongolia 1-0.
According to the Football Federation of Afghanistan, in the second round of the competition, Afghans will also compete with India, Kuwait and Qatar.
Afghans Celebrate Historic Cricket Win Against Pakistan
Afghan across the country took to the streets to celebrate Monday’s historic win by Afghanistan’s national cricket team against Pakistan in the ongoing ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, hosted by India.
The Afghan team made history by winning the match by eight wickets against the former world champion.
“We watched the whole match on TV last night along with the entire family, even the youngest child of mine was happy and everyone was happy,” said Ashraf Alam, a Kabul resident.
“The only source of our happiness is the cricket and cricket is the only thing that makes us happy,” said Kabir, another resident of Kabul.
Meanwhile, cricket analysts and other Afghans praised Afghanistan’s national team for the historic win and called on the International Cricket Council to further support the Afghan team.
“When there is a match between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the political issues are also connected to the match, that is why the Afghan players are making not a single tiny mistake in the match,” said Jamil Rahman Rahimi, a cricket expert.
“I ask the ICC to support the Afghan team and cooperate with the team because our team can reach peaks,” said Farhad Haidari, a Kabul resident.
Along with the common Afghans taking to streets, dancing, singing, and lighting fireworks, the Afghan national cricketers too celebrated the grand victory.
The Afghanistan team, the Blue Tigers, have asked the Afghan people to keep supporting them in the upcoming matches of the World Cup.
“We will be trying our best to give you the same happiness in the upcoming matches, and I ask you to support your heroes both in their good times and bad times,” said Hashmatullah Shahidi, the Afghanistan National Cricket Team’s captain.
“Thank you for your prayers and support, we will try to shine and give you more joys,” said Rashid Khan, national cricket player.
The victory also attracted international reactions and the Afghan players were widely applauded for their professional cricket played during the World Cup.
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