RASC News Agency: Residents of Ghor province in western Afghanistan voice profound discontent over the lack of asphalt on the central Kabul-Ghor and Ghor-Herat highways. Habibullah, a Ghor province resident, disclosed to RASC News on Friday, May 31, that all thoroughfares, encompassing the pivotal Kabul-Ghor and Ghor-Herat highways, constitute 90% of the province’s main and secondary roads.
He further revealed that since the Taliban’s assumption of power, no initiatives for asphalt road development in Ghor province have been undertaken, instigating significant apprehension among the populace. According to him, corrupt government officials have procrastinated the asphalt paving of these two highways for over two decades, deferring it from one day to the next. Now, the Taliban administration engages in hollow promises, deflecting attention from the core issue.
The aforementioned individual underscores that the prevailing predicament is a grave concern for Ghor province residents, necessitating special attention from Taliban authorities. Meanwhile, Qurban, another Ghor province resident, conveyed to RASC that currently, Ghor province exists in name only. Upon closer scrutiny, the development and reconstruction in a district of Kabul or Herat province surpass those in Ghor.
He asserted that if the Taliban devoted even 10% of the attention they allocate to Afghanistan’s premier provinces to Ghor province today, Ghor’s situation would not be as dire. Qurban emphasizes that Ghor province, situated among the mountainous regions of western Afghanistan, requires the central Taliban authorities to address the populace’s issues through local administration.
Similarly, Hamed Firoozi, a regional affairs expert in western Afghanistan, affirmed that over the past 30 years, none of the authorities have accorded special consideration to Ghor province. Firoozi adds that the Taliban prioritizes revenue-generating provinces for development and reconstruction, somewhat mitigating their issues with the revenue generated.
He contends that if, over the past three decades, government officials and now the Taliban, had provided even minimal services to the people of Ghor province, Afghanistanis would not have reached their current plight and would have continued their lives in peace. Taliban authorities in Ghor province have yet to comment on this matter. It is noteworthy that in Ghor province, only 12 kilometers of streets are asphalted, while the remaining streets remain unpaved.
