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Survey Reveals Afghans Prefer Peace Deal with Taliban than Elections
Ariana News conducted a survey on peace and elections with the support of advocacy group NAI in 34 provinces in February this year.
In this survey primary data collected from:
- 5379 citizens
- 34 provinces of Afghanistan
- In three languages (Dari, Pashtu, and Uzbeki)
The questionnaire’s questions was selected by ATN news and there were three main questions:
- Do you want peace? (5379) respondents
- Do you want election? (5370) respondents
- Between peace and election, which one you prefer/select? (5305) respondents while 74 no responded.
From a total of 5379 respondents, 5337 of them have identified their languages, and 5357 respondents have identified their provinces.
In re
sponse to the first question (Do you want peace?), 5295 (98.4%) respondents said YES while 87 (1.7%) responded NO.
In response to the second question (Do you want election?), 4990 (92.8%) respondents said YES while 380 (7.1%) responded NO.
And in response to the third question (Between peace and election which one do you select?), 4852 (90.2%) respondents said they want peace while 429 (8%) 
respondents said they prefer elections.
In addition, 24 (0,4%) respondents said they want peace and elections while 74 (1.4%) participants did not respond.
The surve
y was primarily conducted in three languages including Persian, Pashtu and Uzbeki. From a total of 5337 respondents, 3309 (61,5%) were in Dari, 1996 (37.1%) in Pashtu and 32 (0.6%) more were in Uzbeki language.
Out of 34 provinces, Kabul has the highest number of respondents (1,499), Nangarhar has 378 and Herat & Ghazni 356 each respectively. More details are shown in the below charts.
It comes as the international community led by the United States are making diplomatic efforts to reach into a political settlement and end the nearly two decades of war in Afghanistan.
Earlier, the U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad said that the United States wants to make a peace agreement with the Taliban before the presidential election which is scheduled to be held on 20th of July this year.
However, on the other side, the Afghan government insists that the election would take place on its set date.
The whole Survey is enclosed below:
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan has signed a 30-year agreement with a private company to extract marble in Daikundi province.
Under the contract, the company will invest AFN 283 million in exploring and mining marble at the “Mesh-Uliya” site, spanning 16.74 square kilometers in central Daikundi.
Hedayatullah Badri, Minister of Mines and Petroleum, stated that the marble will be processed domestically before being exported abroad. He added that the Mesh-Uliya project is expected to create around 200 jobs, and the company is committed to supporting local communities through social initiatives.
Economic experts highlight that such investments, especially those focusing on domestic processing, are crucial for job creation, boosting exports, and strengthening the national economy. Analysts further note that the project will improve local infrastructure, expand social services, and enhance the economic and social well-being of Daikundi residents.
Since the return of the Islamic Emirate to power, efforts to develop Afghanistan’s mining sector have intensified, with multiple contracts signed in areas including cement, copper, iron, and lapis lazuli, involving both domestic and international companies.
A passenger bus veered off the Salang Highway before dawn on Sunday, leaving five people dead and 44 others injured, the Ministry of Public Works said.
According to the ministry, the incident occurred at around 2:00 a.m. in the Shawol area of North Salang when a passenger bus deviated from the main road due to the driver’s negligence.
Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works, said five passengers were killed and 44 others sustained injuries. He added that personnel from the Salang Maintenance and Protection Directorate promptly arrived at the scene and transferred the injured to the Khunjān clinic for medical treatment.
The Ministry of Public Works has urged drivers and passengers traveling on the Salang Highway to strictly follow the instructions of on-duty teams, observe traffic regulations, and carry warm clothing, food supplies, and snow chains to prevent similar incidents.
The ministry also noted that heavy snowfall and stormy weather have led to the temporary closure of the highway, while road maintenance teams are continuing snow-clearing operations.
Latest News
Major fire in Mandawi Kabul market contained, extensive losses prevented
Local shopkeepers said the fire broke out around 4 a.m.
The Ministry of Interior reported that personnel from the General Directorate of Firefighting and Emergency Response successfully prevented the further spread of a fire at Mandawi market on Kabul early Sunday morning.
Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the ministry, said that the fire destroyed 10 storage facilities and 8 shops. He added that initial losses are estimated at around $700,000, but timely action by firefighting personnel saved property worth approximately $2.2 million.
Qani explained that the fire was caused by an electrical short circuit. He praised the rapid and effective containment operations, which prevented more extensive damage.
Local shopkeepers said the fire broke out around 4 a.m.
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