The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has clarified reports of an annual payout for families of war victims saying the money is for the families of mostly all victims who died during the war with the United States.

Mujahid said the annual payout of 12.5 billion afghanis (AFN) was not only for the families of deceased IEA fighters but also for the families of deceased security force members from the former government, as well as orphans and widows of civilians killed, and disabled people.

Mujahid said that last year, 12.5 billion afghanis was budgeted and distributed to support these people.

This comes after a number of media outlets published reports over the past two days of an interview with Zabihullah Mujahid. The reports stated that 12 billion afghanis has been allocated annually to the families of the Islamic Emirate’s fallen soldiers, who died during the 20-year war.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BBCI) announced Wednesday that Match 19 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) has been rescheduled and will be played on Tuesday, April 8 at 2:30 pm Kabul time. 

The match was originally scheduled to take place this Sunday, April 6. 

Sunday will now be a single-header match day, opposed to the usual double-header schedule. Sunrisers Hyderabad will play Gujarat Titans at 6 pm Kabul time as originally scheduled. 

However, two matches will be played on Tuesday, April 8. First up will be KKR vs LSG, followed by the Punjab Kings vs Chennai Super Kings. 

Wednesday’s match

Wednesday, April 2, saw Punjab Kings cruise to an 8-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants after a dominant all-round performance.

A disciplined bowling effort restricted LSG to 171/7 at home before PBKS chased it down in style. 

Player-of-the-Match Prabhsimran Singh (69 off 34), skipper Shreyas Iyer (52* off 30), and Nehal Wadhera (43* off 25) powered the visitors to a flawless finish, keeping them unbeaten in the league. 

This convincing win propelled PBKS to second place in the points table, boosting their confidence for the games ahead.

Thursday’s match

Today, Thursday April 3, will see Kolkata Knight Riders take on Sunrisers Hyderabad at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

The match will start at 6 pm Kabul time. Once again, Ariana Television will  broadcast this thrilling event live across Afghanistan. 

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Energy and Water is waiting for budget approval on the much-needed Panjshir to Kabul water conduit project – which, once completed, will alleviate the severe water shortage crisis in the capital.

Matiullah Abid, spokesperson for the Ministry of Energy and Water, confirmed the initial phase of reviewing and planning of the project is complete and construction work will start as soon as the budget has been approved.

Abid said the aim of the project is to help reduce water shortage issues in Kabul..

“The survey, design, and technical studies of the Panjshir water transfer project have been completed by the Ministry of Energy and Water, and the project [budget] has been sent to the leadership of the Islamic Emirate for approval,” he said.

“This project will commence once it is approved and the budget is available.”

The water conduit project will cover a distance of over 200 kms starting in Bazarak in Panjshir and ending in Tarakhail in Kabul.

Residents of Kabul have welcomed the plan and said once complete the additional water will help alleviate the drinking water crisis.

Experts meanwhile believe that this project could help Kabul’s groundwater levels to improve.

“I believe that the Panjshir water transfer project will help replenish underground water sources once again, and the people will have access to clean and healthy water. Additionally, with the transfer of Panjshir water, the agricultural lands around Kabul will also be managed with water, which, in turn, will create job opportunities for the people,” said Abdul Nasir Reshtia, an economic expert.

The plan to transfer water from the Panjshir River to Kabul was designed in 2012. In the 2020 budget of under the previous government, around $5 million was allocated for the annual transfer of 100 million cubic meters of Panjshir River water to Kabul.

The project was expected to be completed by 2023 but never got off the ground until the Islamic Emirate takeover.