Mohammad Qasim Amiri, the Taliban’s head of mining in Panjshir, announced the elimination of illegal mining and smuggling of minerals and precious stones in the province.
He stated that over 560 licenses have been issued for the legal extraction of Panjshir emeralds.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Mines and Petroleum revealed that the distribution of mining licenses in Panjshir has created jobs for more than 10,000 people.
Amiri requested that the Ministry of Mines send a technical team to survey all mineral areas in Panjshir and issue licenses for ruby extraction.
The Taliban’s Minister of Mines emphasized that the people of Panjshir should be prioritized in receiving licenses for rubies and emeralds, as well as in job opportunities.
In the past two years, the Taliban has frequently auctioned Panjshir emeralds.
Amid the economic crisis, the group has focused on extracting Afghanistan’s mines, a practice that opponents consider illegal due to the Taliban’s lack of legitimacy.
