Salang Pass, Other Major Highways Closed After Heavy Snowfall

In an interview with Afghanistan International, Ahadi said there is neither safety nor confidence for investors, nor clear laws or professional cadres within government bodies. As a result, he said, Afghanistan’s economic outlook remains bleak.

The former finance minister added that while some small-scale economic projects are under way, conditions for large-scale investment remain high-risk. He pointed to the lack of a constitutional and legal framework, noting that governance under the Taliban relies largely on decrees issued by the group’s leader. “When a country does not have a constitution, what other law can it possibly have?” he said.

Ahadi said international pressure and isolation, the severing of Afghanistan’s banking ties with the global financial system, the continued freezing of central bank assets and Taliban economic policies have all further restricted space for investment.

The Taliban have sought to attract investors by emphasising security and an economy-focused approach, but the administration remains under international sanctions. Ahadi also said the Taliban face a shortage of skilled professionals, as a large segment of Afghanistan’s educated workforce has emigrated.

“It is not acceptable for a specialist to do the work while their supervisor is a mullah, cleric, qari or Quran memoriser,” Ahadi said, adding that professionals may tolerate such conditions in the short term, but not over time.

He also addressed the suspension of trade and transit with Pakistan, describing Islamabad’s political use of trade routes as “unjustified”. Ahadi said Afghanistan bears the greatest losses from the halt in trade, noting that alternative routes through Iran and Central Asia are more costly and offer limited benefit. According to him, the Pakistan route remains the most economically viable.

Ahadi described ongoing tensions and clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan as “irrational and irresponsible”, warning that the situation is damaging to both sides.

In a statement, the council expressed condolences to the families of the victims in Afghanistan and China and stressed the need to hold accountable those responsible for planning, carrying out and supporting the attack.

Islamic State’s Khorasan branch (ISIS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place on Monday in Kabul’s Shahr-e Naw area.

Six Afghan nationals and one Chinese citizen were killed in the explosion, while 13 others were wounded, including a child. Five Chinese citizens were among the injured.

The Security Council also urged all countries to strengthen cooperation in combating terrorism, in line with their obligations under international law and relevant UN resolutions.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry urged traders and importers to complete all transactions and customs documentation for Pakistani medicines within the remaining 19 days.

The Taliban first announced the ban amid rising tensions and clashes with Pakistan. In November 2025, Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, called on traders to finalise customs procedures within a three-month grace period.

Taliban officials said that once the deadline expires, medicines imported from Pakistan will no longer be processed by customs authorities.

The Taliban have claimed that millions of dollars are spent each year on what they describe as “low-quality” Pakistani medicines. Following the directive, the Taliban’s minister of industry and commerce travelled to Iran and India, with officials saying the administration plans to increase imports of Indian medicines, including through air corridors.

Earlier, on December 2, 2025, Noor-ul-Haq Anwar, head of the Taliban’s Administrative Affairs Directorate, said that more than 70 percent of medicines had previously been imported from Pakistan. He added that medicine shortages have been felt across Afghanistan since the closure of border crossings with Pakistan.

Khalid Hanafi made the remarks during a meeting with a delegation of Shia Ismailis, which the Taliban said was held to coordinate, hear concerns and cooperate on religious outreach.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, January 21, the spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue said Hanafi had emphasised the need to address the religious concerns of the Ismaili community. According to the statement, Hanafi asserted that in an Islamic system the rights of all Afghans are protected and that responding to citizens’ religious issues is a core responsibility of the government.

Hanafi added that the Taliban administration would make every effort to “reform society” and stressed the role of religious scholars, tribal elders and the public in addressing social issues. He said eliminating what he described as social problems and improper customs requires collective cooperation.

The remarks come amid persistent reports of discrimination and abuse against religious minorities, including allegations of pressure to convert and the seizure of Ismaili land by Taliban authorities.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, UNAMA, reported that in the first three months of 2025 the Taliban coerced more than 50 Ismailis into converting to Sunni Islam. According to the report, Taliban agents beat, intimidated and threatened with death those who refused to convert.

A study by the rights group Rawadari, published in December 2025, found that since the Taliban’s return to power Ismaili Shias have faced forced conversion, forced displacement, exclusion from state institutions, land and property seizures, and increasing restrictions on religious practices.

Local sources in Takhar and Badakhshan provinces also told Afghanistan International in late December 2025 and early January 2026 that three Ismaili men had been killed by armed individuals in the two provinces within the space of a month.

Human rights activists say harassment, forced conversions and killings of members of the Ismaili community stem from the Taliban’s exclusionary ideology, contradicting official claims that minority rights are being upheld.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the governor’s media office said the meeting brought together governors from seven zones, including Kabul, Balkh, Herat, Nangarhar, Kandahar, Kunduz and Paktia.

According to the statement, the discussions focused on security developments, counter-narcotics efforts, challenges facing Afghan migrants returning from neighbouring countries, and measures to facilitate trade and economic activity.

The statement said the governors, who under a decree by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada are responsible for provincial administration at the zonal level, also stressed the importance of implementing his decrees consistently across all provinces.

It added that several key issues raised during the meeting were referred to Akhundzada’s office in Kandahar for final guidance and instructions.