RASC News Agency: Residents of Panjshir province claim that the Taliban have repeatedly sold emeralds mined from the region over the past year, squandering the profits for their own benefit. In the latest transaction, the group reportedly sold more than 2,000 carats of emeralds for a sum exceeding $56,000. Saifuddin Latoon, spokesperson for the Taliban-appointed governor of Panjshir, stated that during a recent auction, 2,133 carats of emeralds were sold to local traders for $56,600. These emeralds, according to him, were freshly extracted from Panjshir’s mines, and the sale process was conducted in compliance with the Taliban’s self-imposed regulations.
Latoon further revealed that this was the fifteenth sale of Panjshir emeralds within the past three months. He elaborated that since the formal resumption of emerald mining in the province, auctions have been held biweekly under the oversight of a Taliban-appointed mining committee. However, local residents have accused the Taliban of misappropriating the revenue from these sales, alleging that the funds are distributed among their ranks and misused for non-productive purposes. Critics also claim that the Taliban have failed to allocate any portion of the proceeds to the rightful mine owners or workers, further deepening public frustration.
Panjshir emeralds, renowned globally for their exceptional quality, have historically commanded a significant presence in both domestic and international markets. Since their takeover of Panjshir, the Taliban have seized control of the region’s lucrative mines, exploiting its valuable emerald resources to finance their activities while disregarding the rights of local stakeholders and exacerbating economic disparities.
