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Pakistan-backed armed groups in Balochistan using former Afghan government forces: report
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.
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.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education has announced the suspension of seven private universities for one year and the cancellation of the operating licenses of two others over serious violations and administrative shortcomings.
The ministry said the decision followed inspections and evaluations conducted at universities across Afghanistan during the spring semester of the 1405 solar year. Serious problems were identified at nine private universities, despite repeated warnings and recommendations to address the issues.
According to the ministry, a committee appointed by its leadership council conducted a further review before recommending the suspension and cancellation of the universities’ activities. The recommendations were subsequently approved by the council.
The seven universities suspended for one year are Barlas University in Jawzjan, Rah-e Saadat and Turkistan universities in Balkh, Azhar and Barna universities in Badakhshan, Rashad University in Faryab, and Payam University in Kabul.
The operating licenses of Kohanduz University in Kunduz and Khana-e Danesh University in Takhar have also been revoked.
The ministry cited several violations, including the absence of proper academic and administrative leadership, including university presidents, academic deputies, student affairs deputies and faculty heads.
It also reported the presence of “ghost students” who were listed as enrolled and scheduled for classes despite not being present in classrooms.
Other violations included failure to maintain class attendance records during the first 10 weeks of the semester and allowing students who had been barred from continuing their studies because of poor attendance to sit final examinations, receive passing grades and advance to higher semesters.
The ministry also said some universities lacked the laboratories, equipment and materials required for practical training and were not teaching the curriculum approved by the ministry.
In medical faculties, where much of the training is supposed to take place in hospitals, inspectors reportedly found no students present at hospitals during their visits.
The ministry further alleged that the two universities whose licenses were revoked had falsified attendance records, with some students who had been absent from classes throughout the semester recorded as present in altered attendance sheets.
Russia should explore establishing a railway route to the Indian Ocean through Afghanistan to reduce risks associated with the Bosphorus and Strait of Hormuz, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Marat Khusnullin said.
Speaking in an interview with TASS, Khusnullin said alternative rail routes could pass through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan before reaching India.
“A rail link to the Indian Ocean should also be explored,” Khusnullin said. “Risks related to the Bosphorus and the Strait of Hormuz might require alternative routes: through Turkmenistan, Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Any options providing access to India are acceptable.”
The proposal comes amid concerns over the security and reliability of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz following the escalation of tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz is a major global energy route, through which a significant share of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passes.
Construction begins on major cement production plant in Herat
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