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Contracts worth over $6.5 billion signed to kick-start mining sector
Contracts worth $6.557 billion for seven large-scale mines were signed on Thursday, August 31, between the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum and various companies.
These contracts were signed in the presence of the Islamic Emirate of Afghansitan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund.
The contracts involved four sections of the major iron ore mine in Ghorian district in Herat Province.
The company that secured the contract for the first section was Watan Darakhshan Company and its subsidiary Azaran Industrial Structures Company.
Sahil Middle East Mining & Logistics Company and its Afghan and Turkish partners, Dara-e-Noor and Epcol respectively, were awarded the contract for the second section.
Shamsh, an Afghan company, along with British companies GBM and AD Resources, were awarded the contract for the third block.
The fourth contract went to Bakhtar Steel Company and its Iranian partners Ahya Sepahan and Parsian.
In addition, the contract for one section of the lead and zinc mine in Tulak district of Ghor province was awarded to Afghan Invest Company.
The contract to excavate gold from the Samti mine in Chah Ab district of Takhar province was awarded to the China-Afghanistan Company with Zarawar Afghanistan Private Company being the shareholder; and a contract for the second Mes Aynak mine in Logar province was awarded to Turia Private Company.
A total of $6.557 billion will be invested in these seven projects, which will collectively create thousands of jobs.
This comes just days after the acting minister of mines and petroleum Shahabuddin Delawar met with Wang Jiarui, the general director of China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC), which has the contract to mine copper at Mes Aynak.
Delawar and Wang discussed operational details as well as issues around the archaeological site, which still contains buried artifacts.
Delawar said at the meeting that the Aynak copper mine project was a key priority for the IEA and that their main goal is to get the mining sector up and running.
“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is committed to putting this project into operation as soon as possible, so that its practical work begins and job opportunities are created for the people,” he said.
Pakistan says communities living along the Afghanistan-Pakistan Durand Line want peace and stability, despite ongoing security concerns in the region.
Speaking during a weekly media briefing, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said there are no major issues between the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan, adding that residents on both sides of the Durand Line want peaceful relations and greater regional stability.
However, Andrabi claimed that terrorism originating from Afghan territory continues to undermine peace efforts.
He said Islamabad believes militant activity crossing from Afghanistan remains a significant obstacle to improving regional security and bilateral ties.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly rejected such allegations, maintaining that no militant group is allowed to use Afghan soil to threaten neighboring countries.
Andrabi also said Pakistan remains diplomatically engaged on regional matters involving Afghanistan, Iran, India, and Somalia, stressing that dialogue and diplomacy remain Islamabad’s preferred means of resolving disputes.
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Afghanistan-Gambia ties discussed during Doha meeting
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Suhail Shaheen, head of the Islamic Emirate’s embassy in Doha, has met with Omar Jah, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of The Gambia to Qatar, to discuss bilateral relations and areas of mutual interest.
According to a statement from the Afghan embassy in Doha, Jah also oversees Gambian diplomatic affairs related to Afghanistan.
The meeting focused on Afghanistan-Gambia relations, the current security situation in Afghanistan, and potential investment opportunities in the country.
Both sides also exchanged views on strengthening diplomatic engagement and exploring future economic cooperation.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly and head of the Pakhtunkhwa Awami National Party, has said that if capable statesmen had been in power, people living on both sides of the Durand Line could have moved freely across the line.
Speaking during a podcast interview, Achakzai said that countries with histories of major conflict, including Russia, Germany and the United Kingdom, now maintain far more open borders despite past wars. He said that in many such regions, only a “paper line” remains, with limited border restrictions.
Drawing comparisons with the disputed Durand Line boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Achakzai argued that a similar arrangement could have been possible in South Asia.
“What is the problem here? A Punjabi could dance in Kandahar and a Pashtun could come here. Even if we are not formally one country, we could have effectively functioned like one,” he said.
The Pakistani politician also referred to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the later U.S.-led intervention, saying Afghanistan has the right to seek war reparations from those countries to support reconstruction efforts.
Achakzai further criticised the treatment of Pashtuns in Pakistan, alleging that individuals in cities including Lahore and Karachi have faced detention and deportation.
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