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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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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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Ex-US envoy Khalilzad condemns Pakistan air attacks on Afghanistan
He described the situation as a tragedy for both Pakistan and its neighbors, urging the Pakistani leadership to reconsider its policies and change course.
Former U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has strongly condemned Sunday’s airstrikes by Pakistan on Afghanistan. He stated that these attacks killed and wounded numerous innocent women, children, and elderly.
Khalilzad pointed to Pakistan’s long history of misgovernance, interference in minority rights, manipulation of democratic processes, and repeated military takeovers as the root causes.
He described the situation as a tragedy for both Pakistan and its neighbors, urging the Pakistani leadership to reconsider its policies and change course.
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Japan contributes $2.08 million to World Bank Trust Fund for Afghanistan
Japan has remained one of the major donors to Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development efforts.
Japan has signed a $2.08 million contribution agreement with the World Bank to support humanitarian and livelihood programs in Afghanistan, its diplomatic mission in Kabul said on Sunday.
The funding will be channeled through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank that finances essential services and development programs in the country.
In a statement, Japan said the contribution is intended to support people in need and promote livelihoods among vulnerable Afghans, including women and young people.
“Japan stands with the Afghan people,” the statement said.
Japan has remained one of the major donors to Afghanistan’s humanitarian and development efforts.
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