Category: Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s central bank has injected millions of dollars into the money exchange market over the past two and half years…reports Asian Lite News

Afghanistan’s central bank announced in a statement that it will inject $15 million on Monday into the local market to boost the national currency afghani.

“The bidders including moneychangers and private banks should deposit the necessary money in cash in the form of afghani in the central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank,” the statement added, reports Xinhua news agency.

According to the statement, the bank was requesting all eligible banks, foreign exchanges and monetary service providers to participate in the auction.

The bank also auctioned $15 million last week.

Afghanistan’s central bank has injected millions of dollars into the money exchange market over the past two and half years, aiming at preventing the devaluation of the afghani.

The Afghan caretaker government, since assuming power in August 2021, has taken a series of measures to maintain the stability of the afghani against foreign currencies.

Pak-Afghan talks

Pakistan and Afghan Taliban held important talks during an informal dinner meeting on the sidelines of the Doha process for Afghanistan earlier last week. 

While both sides have officially stated that the talks were “positive in nature”, inside sources revealed that many critical roadblocks still persist.

The meeting between Pakistan’s Special Envoy on Afghanistan, Ambassador Asif Durrani, and Afghan Taliban’s Chief Spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid was held at the residence of Pakistan’s Ambassador to Qatar.

The all-important UN-backed Doha process meeting was attended by several countries, including India.

During the Pak-Afghan meeting, many crucial and sensitive matters were discussed with both sides putting forward their demands and recommendations on the table.

As per reliable sources, Durrani highlighted the issue of the operational presence of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) on Afghanistan soil and told the Afghan Taliban to take action against the outfit.

Pakistan insisted that TTP militants are being trained, funded, facilitated, and supported on Afghan territory and are attempting to penetrate into Pakistan through many pockets of the porous Pak-Afghan border.

“Pakistan also briefed the Afghan Taliban on the scope of ‘Operation Azm-e-Istehkam’, asserting that there would be no talks with the TTP and the operation to take down TTP militants would not be compromised,” said a source on the condition of anonymity.

On the other hand, the Afghan Taliban raised serious concerns over the decision of the Pakistan government to repatriate 1.7 million illegal Afghans without consulting the Afghan Taliban and called for an immediate halt to the ongoing process.

The Afghan Taliban also reiterated its previous recommendations for peace talks between Pakistan and the TTP and expressed its readiness to facilitate them.

“Afghan Taliban’s demands were clearly negated by the Pakistan side,” the source stated.

Pakistan has already conducted air strikes on Afghan territory in the past and claimed to have destroyed TTP training centres operating freely on the Afghan side.

Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif also recently said that the option of conducting air strikes and military operations in Afghanistan to take down TTP militants remains an option and would be considered only if Afghan Taliban continues to ignore Islamabad’s demands of taking action against TTP on Afghan soil.

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Since assuming power in August 2021, the Afghan caretaker government has taken a series of measures to maintain the stability of the Afghani against foreign currencies….reports Asian Lite News

Afghanistan’s central bank auctioned $15 million on Tuesday to maintain the stability of the national currency, the Afghani.

“The bidders, including moneychangers and private banks, should deposit the necessary money in cash in the form of Afghani in the central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank,” the central bank said in a statement posted on social media.

According to the statement, the bank was requesting all eligible banks, foreign currency exchangers and monetary service providers to participate in the auction, reports Xinhua news agency.

The bank also auctioned $15 million last week.

Since assuming power in August 2021, the Afghan caretaker government has taken a series of measures to maintain the stability of the Afghani against foreign currencies.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan exported commercial goods valued at 304 million U.S. dollars from March 20 to June 20, said the country’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

“Afghanistan’s exports and imports during the first quarter of the Persian calendar year 1403 totalled approximately 2.577 billion U.S. dollars, with 304 million dollars in exports and 2.273 billion dollars in imports,” the ministry’s spokesperson Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad told local media outlet Ariana News on Saturday.

Afghanistan primarily exports goods to Pakistan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, India, Austria, Uzbekistan, and Russia, according to Jawad, reports Xinhua news agency.

The main exports included fresh and dried fruits such as pistachios, pine nuts, figs, pomegranates, grapes, raisins, melons, and watermelons. Other significant exports were carpets, handicrafts, and medicinal herbs.

Recently, Afghan police seized 1,500 kg of illicit drugs, including opium and heroin, and arrested 120 alleged drug smugglers from Afghanistan’s Nimroz province over the past six months.

The dossiers of the suspects were referred to the judiciary for further investigation and possible legal process, Xinhua news agency reported.

Afghan authorities have intensified crackdown on illicit drugs and those involved in the business.

Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan had dropped by an estimated 95 per cent since the country’s caretaker government imposed a drug ban in April 2022, according to a report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime issued last November.

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The expulsion of Afghan migrants from Pakistan and Iran has sharply escalated in recent months….reports Asian Lite News

As many as 13,447 Afghan migrants were expelled from Iran and Pakistan last week, The Khaama Press reported.

According to the Taliban-led ministry, of the total refugees, 10,225 were deported from Iran and 3,222 from Pakistan, with women and children among those forcibly returned, The Khaama Press reported.

The ministry detailed that Afghan migrants have returned to Afghanistan via border crossings such as Torghundi, Spin Boldak, Islam Qala, and the Friendship Bridge.

The expulsion of Afghan migrants from Pakistan and Iran has sharply escalated in recent months. Both countries claim to have deported Afghans who lack proper residency documentation back to Afghanistan, The Khaama Press reported

Some deported migrants alleged that despite possessing valid residency documents, they were detained by police and were forcibly returned to Afghanistan. Many Afghan migrants have documented instances of mistreatment by Iranian police in their camps.

Pakistan’s Defense Minister, Khawaja Asif had previously announced intentions to enforce international laws strictly at its borders with Afghanistan. The minister emphasized serious measures to prevent undocumented Afghans from crossing back and forth through the borders.

Amidst these developments, Afghanistan faces a dire humanitarian crisis exacerbated by the forced return of thousands of migrants, many of whom include vulnerable women and children. The situation highlights ongoing human rights violations and challenges in protecting the rights and safety of Afghan refugees.

The Taliban say they respect rights in line with their interpretation of Islamic law.

Since they swept back into power, as NATO Foreign and defence ministers withdrew all Allied troops from Afghanistan, most girls have been barred from high school and women from universities. The Taliban have also stopped most Afghan female staff from working at aid agencies, closed beauty salons, barred women from parks and curtailed travel for women in the absence of a male guardian. (ANI)

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