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IEA bans use of foreign currencies in bid to stabilize Afghan currency
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) officials on Tuesday banned the use of foreign currencies for commercial transactions in the country in a bid to stabilize the plummeting national currency, the Afghani (AFN).
Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, deputy prime minister, who is heading up a commission to curb the currency’s freefall, said at a press conference that the AFN would stabilize on the back of steps being taken.
“We have ordered clerics, local officials and security forces to prevent the use of foreign currencies [being used] in Afghanistan,” said Hanafi.
Mawlawi Hanafi warned that the authorities would take serious action against anyone found to be using, hoarding or smuggling foreign currencies.
This comes as Afghanistan grapples with an economic crisis following the sudden collapse of the previous government, the suspension of foreign donor money and the freezing of foreign assets.
Officials have however said there has been an increase in national revenue generated and that serious efforts are being made to stabilize the economy.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, first deputy prime minister of Afghanistan, meanwhile said while visiting an expo of domestic products in Kabul city that the humanitarian crisis, particularly the lack of food, will create challenges for the region and the world.
Mullah Baradar also criticized the international community for its silence over the issue of Afghanistan’s frozen assets.
“Why is the world silent about what the US is doing? The money did not belong to [former president] Ashraf Ghani; it belongs to the nation. Why is the US doing this? Why is the world silent? It is the nation’s money and it should be returned,” he said.
Regarding the issue of not recognizing the IEA as Afghanistan’s government, Mullah Baradar said the world is pursuing its own goals but that the IEA is committed to issues of national interest.
“We call on the international community to recognize the IEA and release Afghanistan’s frozen assets to solve the problems,” said Mullah Baradar.
The White House said on Monday that they are not yet willing to release Afghanistan’s frozen assets, which amount to over $9 billion.
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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