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IEA bans use of foreign currencies in bid to stabilize Afghan currency
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) officials on Tuesday banned the use of foreign currencies for commercial transactions in the country in a bid to stabilize the plummeting national currency, the Afghani (AFN).
Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, deputy prime minister, who is heading up a commission to curb the currency’s freefall, said at a press conference that the AFN would stabilize on the back of steps being taken.
“We have ordered clerics, local officials and security forces to prevent the use of foreign currencies [being used] in Afghanistan,” said Hanafi.
Mawlawi Hanafi warned that the authorities would take serious action against anyone found to be using, hoarding or smuggling foreign currencies.
This comes as Afghanistan grapples with an economic crisis following the sudden collapse of the previous government, the suspension of foreign donor money and the freezing of foreign assets.
Officials have however said there has been an increase in national revenue generated and that serious efforts are being made to stabilize the economy.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, first deputy prime minister of Afghanistan, meanwhile said while visiting an expo of domestic products in Kabul city that the humanitarian crisis, particularly the lack of food, will create challenges for the region and the world.
Mullah Baradar also criticized the international community for its silence over the issue of Afghanistan’s frozen assets.
“Why is the world silent about what the US is doing? The money did not belong to [former president] Ashraf Ghani; it belongs to the nation. Why is the US doing this? Why is the world silent? It is the nation’s money and it should be returned,” he said.
Regarding the issue of not recognizing the IEA as Afghanistan’s government, Mullah Baradar said the world is pursuing its own goals but that the IEA is committed to issues of national interest.
“We call on the international community to recognize the IEA and release Afghanistan’s frozen assets to solve the problems,” said Mullah Baradar.
The White House said on Monday that they are not yet willing to release Afghanistan’s frozen assets, which amount to over $9 billion.
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Afghanistan lodges complaint with UN over Pakistani airstrikes
Afghanistan’s acting representative to the United Nations has formally raised concerns at the UN Security Council following overnight airstrikes this week it says were carried out by Pakistan inside Afghan territory.
Nasir Ahmad Faiq, acting chargé d’affaires of Afghanistan’s mission to the UN, announced on Monday that a formal complaint had been submitted regarding the strikes, which reportedly resulted in civilian casualties.
In a statement posted on X, Faiq called for “the immediate cessation of such actions, a thorough and impartial review, full respect for Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, and strict adherence to the Charter of the United Nations and international law.”
According to Afghan officials, the strikes took place late Saturday night in eastern Nangarhar and south-eastern Paktika provinces.
Authorities say dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed or wounded when residential areas were hit.
Islamabad has previously maintained that it reserves the right to act against militant groups it says operate near or along the disputed Durand Line. Afghan officials, however, have consistently rejected allegations that Afghan territory is being used to launch attacks against Pakistan.
The latest incident comes amid heightened tensions between Kabul and Islamabad over security concerns and cross-Durand Line militancy, further complicating already fragile bilateral relations.
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US companies are welcome to join TAPI project: Turkmenistan’s ex-president
In an interview with Al Arabiya, former Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said international companies, including United States firms, are welcome to join the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.
Berdymukhamedov noted that while the project enjoys U.S. support, it will need to navigate longstanding regional tensions, as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India have seen outbreaks of deadly fighting over the past year.
“This project, which enjoys international support, including from the United States, possesses immense potential in meeting the growing energy needs of South Asian nations. It also opens promising avenues for accessing the emerging markets of the Asia-Pacific region, the Near East, and the Middle East,” he said.
“The TAPI project is also of paramount importance for political stability and economic prosperity, maintaining high investment attractiveness,” Berdymukhamedov added.
Turkmenistan plans to complete the first section of the pipeline, reaching the Afghan city of Herat, by the end of 2026. No plans have yet been announced to extend the project further south.
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UK’s Reform party pledges visa ban affecting Afghanistan and five other states
The British political party Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, is set to impose a blanket visa ban on Afghanistan and five other countries — including Pakistan — as part of its proposed crackdown on illegal migration and states refusing to accept deported nationals.
In a speech set for Monday, the party’s newly appointed “shadow” home secretary, Zia Yusuf, will outline plans to halt all visas for diplomats, students, workers, VIPs and tourists from Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan and Sudan. Reform says these governments fail to cooperate in accepting back deported migrants and convicted criminals.
Pakistan received more than 160,000 UK visas last year, making it one of the biggest visa recipients. However, British officials say Islamabad accepts back only a small fraction of rejected asylum seekers and has resisted pressure to take back individuals convicted in high-profile criminal cases.
The move – which mirrors US President Donald Trump’s visa ban on 75 countries – would be a key element in Reform’s strategy to deport up to 288,000 illegal migrants from the UK on five charter flights a day.
On legal migration, Yusuf will say a Reform government would terminate all welfare payments to foreign nationals, including the 1.3 million currently receiving UC, up from around 900,000 in 2022.
Yusuf is expected to say that years of weak immigration enforcement have undermined public trust and that a Reform government would secure Britain’s borders and make people feel safe.
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