Construction of a major cement production plant has officially begun in Afghanistan’s western Herat province, with the project expected to receive $143 million in investment and create thousands of jobs.

The groundbreaking ceremony was held on Sunday in the presence of senior officials of the Islamic Emirate, including the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, the Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs and several cabinet ministers.

Homayoun Afghan, spokesperson for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, said the project has been contracted to a local company and that construction is expected to be completed within two years.

Once operational, the plant is expected to produce around 3,000 tonnes of cement per day, according to the ministry.

Officials say the project will provide direct and indirect employment for approximately 5,000 people, creating jobs and supporting economic activity in the province.

The Herat cement project is considered one of Afghanistan’s major industrial projects. Its development has been anticipated for decades, with residents and officials repeatedly calling for the province’s cement resources to be developed locally.

The plant is located about 30 kilometers west of Herat city in Zinda Jan district.

The project is expected to increase domestic cement production and reduce reliance on imported cement once it becomes operational.

According to an investigative report by Parrhesia News, Pakistan’s security agencies are using state-backed armed groups in Balochistan to pursue security objectives and counter Baloch armed opposition, with some former members of Afghanistan’s security forces also recruited into these groups.

The report, published on August 6, claims that groups known as “Lashkars” operate in Balochistan with the support of Pakistan’s security agencies and play a role in security and counterinsurgency operations alongside the country’s army, border forces and intelligence agencies.

According to the investigation, these groups serve as proxies, allowing Pakistan to carry out some security and counterinsurgency operations through armed groups that are not formally part of the state structure.

Parrhesia News claims that some former members of Afghanistan’s security forces, who left the country after the fall of the republic in 2021, have also joined these groups. The report says their military training, combat experience and familiarity with border operations make them valuable to these networks.

The report says the use of former Afghan personnel allows Pakistan-backed armed groups to deploy experienced fighters in their operations without officially increasing the size of Pakistan’s security forces.

The outlet also claims that the former Afghan personnel are primarily motivated by financial needs and finding a way to make a living, and that they have no interest in participating in a potential conflict against Afghanistan.