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Cash-strapped Afghan sports car company suspends work
Mohammad Reza Ahmadi, the designer of a sports car made in Afghanistan, said in a video message posted to social media, that due to financial problems, they have been forced to stop work on their vehicle.
Ahmadi did not say when they hoped to resume work but stated the main reason for suspending operations was the lack of investors.
He said: “We thought that something would happen very well and that we would be able to attract investors very quickly, make us proud and go towards production, solve our problems and help the country, but unfortunately, attracting investors is a time-consuming process.
“From the beginning of our work, the problem we had was the [lack of] capital, which we always had and this problem was not solved for five years.”
Ahmadi said “only one part of the solution is in their hands and the other part is in the hands of investors.”
He also said they went into debt to build the sports car.
“Debt is putting so much pressure [on us] that we have to stop working for a while and go back to our old jobs. We are mold makers and we make molds for the detergent and food industries so that we can pay the debt and no longer disappoint the creditors,” said Ahmadi.
According to him, he is hopeful that work will soon resume on the sports car.
This car named “Helmet” was displayed on the roads of Kabul a few months ago and gained much attention both in the country and abroad. The car was designed and developed by NTOP and took five years to build at a cost of $60,000.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US special representative for Afghanistan, has questioned Pakistan’s commitment to the welfare of the Afghan people, citing Islamabad’s policies over the past three decades.
Khalilzad said in a post on X that Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif advocated for the rights of Afghan women during his speech at the UN General Assembly on Friday.
Sharif said: “Fundamental rights of the Afghan people — especially women and girls — must be respected.”
Responding to the remarks, Khalilzad said Pakistan’s policies over the past 30 years raise questions about Sharif’s commitment to Afghan welfare.
He cited Pakistan’s support for militant groups against US forces and what he described as the poor treatment of Afghan refugees as examples.
Khalilzad also said Afghanistan and Pakistan need and should have much better relations, adding that “a reset is necessary.”
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Rabab Fatima, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X that Misri underscored the need to keep addressing the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people as a priority.
Misri also appreciated the role of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and reaffirmed India’s continued cooperation with the United Nations on Afghanistan.
The meeting comes as Afghanistan continues to face humanitarian and economic challenges, with international agencies warning of significant needs among the Afghan population.
Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tileuberdi has called for pragmatic and coordinated international engagement with Afghanistan, saying the country’s long-term stability is closely linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.
Speaking during the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Tileuberdi said humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan remains essential but alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency.
He said Kazakhstan supports a “pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step” approach to international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.
Tileuberdi also said Kazakhstan is working with the UN to operationalize the United Nations Regional Centre for the Sustainable Development Goals for Central Asia and Afghanistan in Almaty.
He said the success of the centre should be measured by the results and assistance it delivers to the region.
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