Latest News
Turkey criticises U.S. statement on resettlement of Afghans
Turkey on Tuesday criticised a U.S. program to offer potential resettlement to Afghans who may be targets of Taliban violence due to their U.S. affiliations, saying the move would cause a "great migration crisis" in the region.
The U.S. State Department on Monday announced a new program under which thousands more Afghans will have a chance to resettle as refugees in the United States. Afghans in the progam would have to make their own way to a third country, where they will wait 12 to 14 months for their application to be processed.
A senior State Department official said Washington had been in discussion with neighbouring countries on potential outflows, adding it was important that Pakistan's borders with Afghanistan remain open, while others might travel to Turkey via Iran.
Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement it rejected a reference to Turkey as a migration route for Afghans, and added that Turkey - the world's leading host for refugees with more than 4 million migrants - would not "undertake a new migration crisis on behalf of a third country".
"As Turkey, we do not accept the irresponsible decision taken by the United States without consulting our country. If the United States wants to take these people to its country, it is possible to transfer them directly to their country by planes," the ministry said.
"No one should expect the Turkish nation to bear the burden of the migration crises experienced as a result of the decisions of third countries in our region," it added.
Hundreds of Afghans have crossed into Turkey in recent weeks amid rising violence in Afghanistan, raising concerns of a fresh influx of migrants.
Ties between Ankara and Washington have been strained over a host of issues, from Ankara's move to purchase Russian defence equipment to legal issues and policy differences in Syria, Libya, and the eastern Mediterranean.
Ankara has offered to guard and operate Kabul's Hamid Karzai international airport after the U.S. and NATO withdrawal from Afghanistan, in a move that could create an area for cooperation between the NATO allies.
Latest News
Two horror accidents on Kabul-Kandahar highway leave 52 dead
The Islamic Emirate has directed the relevant directorate’s to investigate the incidents to determine the exact cause of both accidents
Two late-night traffic accidents in southeastern Afghanistan left at least 52 people dead and more than 65 injured, the Islamic Emirate confirmed early Thursday.
The accidents on Wednesday night happened in Ghazni province. Both accidents involved buses and one involved a fuel tanker.
According to a statement issued by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) said: "It is with great regret that we learned that two fatal traffic accidents occurred on the Kabul-Kandahar highway, as a result of which 52 of our compatriots were martyred and 65 others were injured."
The Islamic Emirate has directed the relevant directorate’s to investigate the two accidents to determine the exact cause of both.
The Directorate of Information and Culture of Ghazni province meanwhile said in a statement that 47 people had died and 73 others were injured in the accidents.
The directorate stated that the injured had been taken to hospital; some of whom were in a critical condition.
One accident involved a passenger bus and a fuel tanker and the other involved a passenger bus and truck.
Latest News
There should be no distance between media and government: Stanikzai
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the political deputy minister of foreign affairs, says media outlets should be supported in a way that there is no distance between them and the government.
Stanikzai, speaking at a seminar titled "The Role of Media in Strengthening the Islamic System" in Kabul, added that the media plays a crucial role in global propaganda wars, and it is necessary for the IEA to cease exerting pressure on the country's media and allow them to freely play their role in the development and prosperity of the country.
"The problems of the media should be heard, their voices should be heard, and the environment should be conducive for them to carry out their work freely,” he stated.
He further emphasized that the views towards the country's media should be such that both sides do not view each other as strangers, and the IEA should refrain from exerting pressure on the media and allow them to operate with freedom.
Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry of Information and Culture also stated at the seminar that they have not adopted an approach of confrontation with the media and that the ministry is committed to collaborating with them.
Participants in the seminar also urged the media to spare no effort in reflecting a positive image of Afghanistan to the world.
This seminar was held at a time the media considers itself committed to freedom of expression and reporting activities within the framework of national interests and Islamic values.
Latest News
DABS signs contract to purchase electricity from Uzbekistan for 2025
Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) has announced that a contract for the purchase of electricity from Uzbekistan has been signed for the year 2025.
This agreement was signed following a visit by an Islamic Emirate delegation, led by DABS CEO Abdul Bari Omari to Tashkent, where they engaged in discussions with Uzbek officials.
"The General Director of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat, along with a delegation, traveled to Uzbekistan and signed the electricity purchase agreement for 2025 during a meeting with officials from the Uzbek electricity sector,” said DABS spokesman Hekmatullah Maiwandi.
Meanwhile, some investors have urged IEA to engage with Uzbekistan regarding the 500-kilovolt electricity project and to ensure the swift completion of this project.
Once completed, the project is expected to alleviate some of the electricity shortages in the country.
Tajikistan agreement
Late last month, Tajikistan's national electric power company, Barqi Tojik, and DABS signed a similar agreement, which will see Tajikistan supply Afghanistan with power through 2025.
The signing ceremony was attended by Mahmadumar Asozoda, General Director of Barqi Tojik, Omar.
According to Barqi Tojik's press secretary, Kurbon Ahmadzoda, the agreement is expected to be extended annually until 2028.
However, the electricity export will reportedly be limited to the summer months, from May to September, and will be dependent on the availability of electricity within Tajikistan's domestic market, Tajik media reported at the time.
Powering a future
Afghanistan currently produces only 20% of its energy needs, while 80% of its electricity is imported from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran.
The Islamic Emirate has however made it a priority to encourage domestic production of power since regaining control in August 2021.
Omar has met with potential investors on numerous occasions and has encouraged them to invest in the sector.
One such meeting was held in August with officials from Bayat Power.
Bayat Power is Afghanistan’s largest private Electric Power Production and Development Company and owns and operates Bayat Power-1, the first in a new generation of Gas to Electricity power generation plants.
Bayat Power is hoping to start work soon on Phase 2 of Bayat Power-1 in northern Jawzjan province in order to increase electricity production output for Afghanistan.
Mohammad Shoaib Sahibzada, the technical head of Bayat Power, has said that once Phase 2 is complete, electricity production will increase from 40 to 100 megawatts.
Sahibzada said Bayat Power's natural gas to electricity generation project will eventually produce up to 250 megawatts of electricity once Phase 3 is complete.
Bayat Power has produced over one billion kilowatt hours of electricity in just under five years after starting commercial operations in late 2019.
Sahibzada said that over the past five years, the company has also worked on capacity building of its technical employees.
Leading the way
Bayat Power is the first private company in 40 years to produce electricity from natural gas in the country and the multi-million dollar plant uses Siemens Energy’s SGT-A45 mobile gas turbine for its economic efficiency, flexible deployment, and power density.
Currently providing electricity to hundreds of thousands of end-users and generating more than 300 million kWh annually, the project was structured as an innovative public-private partnership between Bayat Power, Siemens Energy, and Afghanistan government entities such as the
Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, the Ministry of Energy and Water, and the General Directorate of Afghan Gas Corporation Company, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), and international partners.
The Bayat Group is the largest private investor in Afghanistan and Bayat Power is currently the only gas-powered plant in the country.
The Siemens Energy’s SGT-A45 mobile gas turbine used by the company is the only one in operation in the world.
-
Latest News5 days ago
Afghanistan seals T20I series victory over Zimbabwe
-
Latest News5 days ago
U.S. sentences Afghan man to 30 years in prison for narco-terrorism and witness tampering
-
International Sports4 days ago
Messi vs Ronaldo: A look at their market values over the years
-
Latest News5 days ago
Investment in Afghanistan’s pharmaceutical sector reaches $300 million: Union
-
Sport5 days ago
Afghanistan’s Gulbaddin Naib fined 15% of match fee for dissent
-
Regional4 days ago
Hezbollah chief says group lost its supply route through Syria
-
Latest News4 days ago
Injustices against Afghan women threaten global equality: US
-
Sport3 days ago
ATN to broadcast exciting 2025 ICC Champions Trophy live in Afghanistan