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Coal mining sector in Ghor gets green light
Ghor officials confirmed Wednesday that the process of extracting coal in the province has started.
Officials at the Ghor Mines and Petroleum Authority said a tender has been issued to a local company and that the company expects to mine up to 50 tonnes of coal a day.
Officials said the company is contracted to pay the government 2,400 AFN for every tonne of coal extracted.
In addition, dozens of jobs have been created.
“Coal mining in Alayar district of Ghor province has started successfully, which is a step towards self-sufficiency, progress and development,” said Wahid Shaheryar, head of Ghor Coal Mining Company.
“The request of all departments and the people of Ghor is that work on the mines of Ghor province should start and (coal) extracted so that jobs can be created for our people,” said Abdul Hakim Hekmat, head of Ghor Mines and Petroleum department.
Despite having rich mineral deposits, Ghor has been one of the poorest provinces in the country for the last two decades, as no regulated mining was in place.
“We have about 80 different types of mines in Ghor province, most of which are located in Tulak, Shahrak, Alayar and Dawlat Yar districts,” said Mawolavi Rahmatullah Amani, representative of Ghor governor’s office.
“We do our best to ensure the safety of roads, companies and mines in Ghor province,” said Ahmadullah Labeb, Ghor’s provincial police chief.
While hundreds of jobs are expected to be created in the province at mines, hundreds more will emerge as indirect employment opportunities, officials said.
Residents have also said that with the establishment of operational mines, other sectors will also grow and infrastructural development will follow.
“We are very happy that the work on this mine has started and we have started working, but our problems need to be taken into account,” said AbdulKhaliq, a resident.
According to local officials, in addition to the coal mine, the central province also has rich deposits of lead, gold, marble, and mercury.
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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