Kandahar Governor Mullah Mohammad Shirin Akhund has called on the World Bank to implement major and essential development projects in the southern Afghan province.

The remarks were made during a meeting with Faris Hadad-Zervos, World Bank Group country director for Afghanistan, and Richard Trenchard, representative of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

At the meeting, Hadad-Zervos briefed Kandahar officials on the World Bank’s activities and assistance across Afghanistan, as well as the work of the FAO, provincial governor’s office said in a statement.

He said the World Bank has continued its operations in Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate came to power, while the FAO’s financial activities are also funded by the World Bank.

According to Hadad-Zervos, the organizations are working in areas including health, humanitarian assistance, education, clean water and agriculture.

He said the World Bank and local authorities had also begun joint efforts to implement projects aimed at strengthening the private sector and creating employment opportunities.

Kandahar Governor Mullah Mohammad Shirin Akhund welcomed the visiting officials and praised the assistance and cooperation provided by the World Bank and FAO.

He called on the World Bank to implement major projects in Kandahar, including raising the height of the Dahla Dam, continued support for Mirwais Regional Hospital, construction of cold-storage facilities and check dams, expanding markets for fresh and dried fruits, and supporting alternative crops to replace narcotics cultivation.

The Kandahar governor said Afghans had endured years of hardship and should therefore be provided with essential and quality public services.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has strongly condemned an attack on a mosque in Kohat city in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province during Friday prayers.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the ministry’s spokesman described attacks on places of worship as “unjustifiable and condemnable.”

The ministry also expressed sympathy with the families of those killed and injured in the incident.

At least 16 people were killed and 57 others injured in the blast in Kohat on Friday.

No individual or group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, on Friday laid the foundation stone for the Imam Shaqiq Balkhi Industrial Township at the Hairatan Two-Way intersection in Balkh province.

Speaking at the ceremony, Baradar said the Islamic Emirate’s priority is to gradually transform Afghanistan into a productive country and turn its young population into a productive workforce.

He said efforts are also underway to connect industries, production and markets and make Afghan products available in regional and international markets.

Baradar described the Balkh industrial township as a practical demonstration of the Islamic Emirate’s commitment to developing an industrial and productive economy.

According to Baradar, the project will help address the shortage of industrial land in Balkh, create opportunities for businesses, reduce dependence on imports and provide jobs for thousands of people.

He said Balkh is one of Afghanistan’s key commercial, transit and industrial provinces and called for the Hairatan port and transport route to play a greater role in exports.

“Hairatan should not only be a route for imported goods and regular traffic,” Baradar said, adding that it should become an important transit corridor for exporting Afghanistan’s processed and manufactured products.

Baradar also called on the international community to expand formal economic relations with Afghanistan and remove financial and banking restrictions.

He said the Islamic Emirate has both the capacity and determination to participate in regional and global economic partnerships.

At the ceremony, Baradar urged industrialists to invest in different sectors within the new township and said the government would provide the necessary facilities and cooperation.

The Balkh Industrial Township will be developed on 22,000 jeribs of land. It is expected to provide space for businesses involved in processing raw materials, manufacturing standardized products and exporting finished goods.