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Price of naan bread in Afghanistan doubles
Afghanistan’s Chamber of Craftsmen and Shopkeepers said Tuesday that the price of an average naan bread weighing 200 grams has doubled, from 10 Afghanis (AFN) to 20 AFN on the back of rising food prices.
The chamber said that the price of a 270 gram naan bread has also increased, from 20 AFN to 30 AFN.
This comes on the back of a continued weakening of the AFN against the US dollar.
Most of Afghanistan’s processed food supplies are imported along with oil and fuel.
The head of the chamber meanwhile called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to take serious measures to stabilize the Afghan currency, stating that otherwise the situation will get worse.
“We took the decision (to increase the price), in order to prevent the closure of bakeries,” said Nurulhaq Omari, head of the union.
“The price of bread has changed, one bread is sold for 20 AFG, because the cost of one bag of flour has risen to 3,400 AFN.
“Shops in Kabul city are open, but business is not good,” Shopkeepers said.
According to them, they have the ability to buy the ingredients to make naam bread. But they said clients in turn do not have the money to buy bread.
“When we go to the bazar, they ask for dollars, because the AFG has lost its value. Selling and buying is done in dollars, said Gull Mohammad, a shopkeeper.
“People need flour, rice, oil and other necessary materials, customers are coming, but they can’t afford to buy anything,” said Obaidullah, another shopkeeper.
Kabul municipality on the other hand says they have not noticed any problems but will monitor the cost, quality and weight of bread.
“Necessary ingredients are available at bazaars, but the strong dollar” is impacting the cost of food, said a municipality official.
“We are not going to control the prices, and will not approve it (price of bread),” said Hamdullah Noomani, deputy head of Kabul municipality.
This comes amid a growing humanitarian crisis in the country.
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Afghanistan’s problems caused more damage to Pakistan than 3 wars with India: Durrani
Islamabad’s special envoy for Afghanistan Asif Durrani said on Wednesday that Pakistan has suffered more due to Afghanistan’s internal situation than Pakistan has suffered in three wars with India in terms of blood spilt and finances drained.
Durrani said at a one-day International Conference titled “Pakistan in the Emerging Geopolitical Landscape”, which was organized by the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI) and the German Friedrich Ebert Stiftung (FES), that over 80,000 Pakistanis died in the two decades of the War on Terror and that his country was still counting its dead and injured.
“After the withdrawal of NATO forces, it was hoped that peace in Afghanistan would bring peace to the region. However, such expectations were short-lived,” he said.
He also stated that attacks by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militant group on Pakistan’s border areas increased by 65 percent, while suicide attacks increased by 500 percent.
“The TTP’s enhanced attacks on Pakistan while using Afghan soil have been a serious concern for Pakistan. Another worrying aspect is the participation of Afghan nationals in these attacks,” he said.
Durrani also said Pakistan had suffered geopolitically since the Soviet Union invaded the neighboring country.
“The post-9/11 world order has negatively impacted Pakistan. Apart from losing 80,000 citizens’ lives, including 8,000 law enforcement agency personnel, the country’s economic opportunity cost is estimated at $150 billion,” Durrani said.
Talking about the future outlook for Pakistan in the regional context, Durrani said that while “our eastern neighbor is likely to continue with its anti-Pakistan pursuits, the western border poses an avoidable irritant in the short to medium term.”
However, he said Pakistan can overcome its difficulties with Afghanistan, including the TTP challenge.
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Afghanistan now a ‘nexus for diplomatic endeavors’, says IEA
In the wake of dozens of meetings between high-ranking Islamic Emirate officials and visiting officials from foreign countries, and other diplomatic advances, the IEA said on Thursday that in the current geopolitical landscape, Kabul now “serves as a nexus for diplomatic endeavors and political deliberations pertaining to global affairs”.
In a series of posts on X, the IEA’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said diplomatic missions and political delegations from various nations, including Russia, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, the European Union, and others, “are evident in the capital, highlighting its strategic importance in fostering Islamic cooperation”.
He said: “Recently, the honorable Minister of Transport of the Islamic Emirate, Mr. Hamidullah Akhundzada, led a significant delegation to Termez, Uzbekistan, for essential discussions aimed at enhancing bilateral relations.
“These discussions encompass a wide range of topics, from trade facilitation to security assurances, indicating a focused effort by the Islamic Emirate to strengthen and broaden its international engagements, thereby ensuring sustained development and stability.
“These initiatives, characterized by diligence and effectiveness, underscore Afghanistan’s enduring commitment to diplomatic engagement and its pivotal role in regional and global affairs,” he said.
Mujahid added that these initiatives “also emphasize the vital connection between diplomatic efforts and economic prosperity, promising favorable outcomes for Afghanistan’s socio-economic landscape.”
He pointed out that despite ongoing challenges, Afghanistan “remains steadfast in its pursuit of prosperity and resilience, defying pessimistic projections and charting a course towards political and economic renewal.”
He said: “Continued efforts are essential to fostering inclusive growth and impactful initiatives, thus advancing Afghanistan’s journey towards sustainable development and increased influence on the global stage.”
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Mullah Baradar discusses creation of railway with Kazakh deputy PM
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, deputy prime minister for economic affairs has met with Erik Zhumangarin, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, and discussed the establishment of a railway network from Kazakhstan to Pakistan through Turkmenistan and Afghanistan, the deputy PM’s office said in a statement.
During the meeting, Baradar emphasized the need to sign agreements to solve the banking problems of traders from both countries, the creation of Afghan-Kazakh joint companies, and the facilitation of visas for Afghan traders.
According to the statement, the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan said that the Kazakh government intends to establish a joint chamber of industry and commerce and a joint trade and labor group between the two countries, and is ready to cooperate with Afghanistan in the sectors of e-governance, industry, higher education, education, health, and banking.
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