Anwar-ul-Haq Ahadi, a former finance minister, says the conditions necessary to attract investment do not exist under Taliban rule, citing insecurity, the absence of a legal framework and the dominance of clerics over state institutions.
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.
