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Construction of 285-km irrigation canal underway in northern Afghanistan
Afghan government officials on Wednesday inaugurated the construction of a major irrigation canal, named Qosh Tepa, in the north of the country.
The inauguration ceremony in Balkh province was attended by senior government officials including Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar as well as the acting ministers of commerce, agriculture, information and frontiers.
In his address at the ceremony, Baradar said that the inauguration of the project was a step toward self-reliance. He called on the public to support the government in the implementation of infrastructure projects.
“The project is of great importance and it would greatly help the agriculture sector. People should support the project. We will provide any kind of support needed in the agriculture sector. We do not want to be dependent on others,” Baradar said.
Meanwhile, the acting minister of agriculture, irrigation and livestock said that Afghanistan was still an economically occupied country, as he referred to the issue of frozen assets in the United States.
“The enemy has economically occupied us as our funds are not in our hands. We should get rid of the economic occupation. We had a lot of water, but it was not being managed, it was being used by others. We should manage our waters,” Minister Abdul Rahman Rashid said.
Acting Minister of Frontiers and Tribal Affairs Noorullah Noori said that now that the security situation has improved in Afghanistan, there should be efforts for reconstruction of the country and its economic development.
Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry Nooruddin Azizi said that the irrigation scheme would cover more than 50,000 hectares of land. He said that the project would also help reduce imports of commodities such as wheat and oil.
Khairullah Kahiwkhwa, the acting minister of information and culture, said that no government will provide aid to Afghanistan unless they have political interests. “Therefore, we all should work for an Afghanistan that is no longer dependent on other countries and we should become self-reliant.”
Qosh Tepa irrigation canal covers 285 kilometers, beginning from Amu River in Balkh province, passing through Jowzjan and ending in Faryab.
The project has three phases. The first phase is 108 kilometers, which is expected to be implemented over the next year. The second and third phase, which combined makes up 177 kilometers, is expected to be completed within five years. The irrigation scheme has a catchment area of 550,000 hectares.
Pakistan on Friday summoned Afghan Deputy Head of Mission in Islamabad to convey “strong demarche” over a deadly attack on a military camp in North Waziristan District that killed four Pakistani soldiers.
In a statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the attack was carried out by a faction of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
The statement said that Pakistan conveyed “grave concern over the continued support and facilitation” provided by the Islamic Emirate to TTP.
Pakistan has demanded “a full investigation and decisive action against the perpetrators and facilitators of the terrorist attacks launched against Pakistan from Afghan soil.”
It urged the Islamic Emirate “to take immediate, concrete and verifiable measures against all terror groups operating from its territory, including their leadership, and deny the continued use of Afghan soil for terrorism against Pakistan.
According to the statement, the Islamic Emirate has been “categorically informed that Pakistan reserves the right to defend its sovereignty and protect its citizens, and will take all necessary measures to respond to terrorism originating from Afghan soil.”
Pakistani officials have repeatedly claimed that attacks in the country are originated from Afghan soil, a charge the Islamic Emirate denies.
President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has underscored Afghanistan’s continued importance in regional cooperation, saying the country remains one of the key areas of interaction among regional partners.
Addressing the first summit of the “Central Asia Plus Japan” dialogue, Mirziyoyev said participating countries share a common aspiration to see Afghanistan become peaceful, stable, and oriented toward meaningful development.
The Uzbek president praised Japan’s longstanding and consistent support for Afghanistan, noting that Tokyo has for many years been among the leading donors and partners assisting the Afghan people.
He expressed confidence that coordinated efforts and joint contributions by regional countries and Japan would help improve living standards in Afghanistan, advance socio-economic and infrastructure development, and facilitate the country’s active involvement in regional economic projects.
The Embassy of Japan in Afghanistan announced on Friday that the country has allocated $19.5 million in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
In a statement, the Japanese Embassy said it hopes the aid will help bring positive change to the lives of vulnerable Afghans.
According to the statement, the assistance will cover the basic humanitarian needs of vulnerable communities in Afghanistan.
The embassy added that the aid will be delivered through United Nations agencies, international organizations, and Japanese non-governmental organizations operating in Afghanistan.
Japan’s total assistance to Afghanistan since August 2021 has reached more than $549 million.
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