RASC News Agency: Local sources in Panjshir report that the Taliban have auctioned emeralds for the eighteenth time and rubies for the first time in the province. This auction of Panjshir’s natural resources comes amid severe economic hardship for its residents, who are awaiting humanitarian aid.
Homayoun Afghan, spokesman for the Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, stated on Tuesday, May 21, that 32,594 carats of Panjshir emeralds, valued at $4,287,359, have been sold so far. The spokesman added that Panjshir rubies have been sold for the first time, fetching $1,000. Panjshir residents have sent images to the media showing that they are living in extreme poverty while the Taliban authorities plunder their natural resources, funneling the profits to Hibatullah.
One resident of Panjshir noted that since the Taliban took over the country, poverty and unemployment in the province have surged, and humanitarian aid is rarely provided. Panjshir residents have complained that the Taliban are exploiting the province’s natural resources without creating jobs or alleviating local poverty.
