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Badakhshan officials concerned about sharp drop in Marco Polos in northern Afghanistan
Officials from Badakhshan Department of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock have raised concerns about the sharp decrease in numbers of Marco Polo sheep and say their status in the province is under threat.
Marco Polo sheep are distinguishable by their large, spiral horns and live in the mountainous regions of Central Asia – including in the Wakhan National Park.
Their conservation status is “near threatened” and efforts have been made in the region to protect their numbers and keep them from being hunted.
Amanullah Hassan, the head of Badakhshan Agriculture Department, said a survey to count the Marco Polo and the Asiatic ibex was recently carried out by the National Park Authority, Environment Department and Wildlife Conservation Institute (WCI).
According to Hassan, the team assessed 20 herds that included both Marco Polos and Ibex, living at an altitude higher than 4,000 meters above sea level, and found the number of Marco Polos had dropped significantly against data collected by WCI in 2021.
Most Marco Polo sheep live in the Pamir Mountains region adjacent to the borders of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and China.
Their elevation ranges from 3,700 to 4,800 m above sea level.
Both Marco Polo and the Ibex are drawcards for the province as they attract dozens of tourists annually.
Two people have been killed amid protests against a poppy eradication campaign in northeastern Badakhshan province, local officials said.
Authorities said counter-narcotics forces were deployed on Friday to Atan Jalo area of Argo district to destroy poppy fields. Clashes erupted after a number of farmers and residents reportedly attempted to block the operation.
Officials said a child was killed during Friday’s unrest, while another person died on Saturday as protests and tensions continued in the area.
According to local authorities, demonstrators also temporarily blocked the Kishm–Faizabad highway, disrupting traffic for several hours before it was reopened following coordinated efforts by security officials, religious scholars, and community elders.
Officials blamed “drug traffickers and criminal groups” for inciting the unrest and said security forces have since regained control of the area.
A high-ranking Uzbek delegation comprising government officials and private sector representatives from the Republic of Karakalpakstan arrived in Kabul on Saturday to discuss the expansion of trade and economic cooperation with Afghanistan.
The delegation is headed by Amanbay Orinbayev, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Karakalpakstan.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the delegation is expected to hold talks with Nooruddin Azizi, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, focusing on strengthening bilateral trade and economic relations.
The ministry said the visiting delegation will also participate in trade connectivity meetings and business-to-business sessions aimed at enhancing commercial cooperation between the two sides.
As part of the visit, the Uzbek delegation is also scheduled to travel to Balkh province, where members will attend additional trade meetings and inaugurate an exhibition showcasing Uzbekistan’s domestic products.
Hamid Karzai, former president of Afghanistan, has expressed concern over recent developments along the Durand Line, saying Pakistan has increased military and economic pressure on villages and residents living near the line.
In a statement, Karzai said the apparent purpose of these pressures is to push residents of Durand Line areas to seek help from Pakistani institutions for resolving security and other local issues.
He added that, amid this situation, some tribal elders from both sides of the Durand Line recently signed documents described as “peace agreements,” which were later officially welcomed by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Karzai, these developments amount to an effort by Pakistan to legitimize the Durand Line and represent an action against Afghanistan’s national sovereignty.
The former Afghan president also urged the relevant Afghan authorities to provide the public with a clear explanation regarding the recent agreements and developments along the Durand Line.
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