Taliban seek release of Afghan Bank reserves

KABUL: Referring to Afghanistan’s bank reserves abroad which have been frozen, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) said Sunday that the international community, especially the United States (US), would be responsible for any possible humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

Ahmad Wali Hawmal, spokesperson for the MoF, said the Afghan assets should be released without any conditions, adding that freezing Afghanistan’s assets opposes international law and is a clear sign of cruelty against the Afghan People. “The frozen money is not the asset of the Islamic Emirate, it is the money of needy people and businessmen. It is against international law and should be released soon,” said Ahmad Wali Haqmal. In the meantime, dozens of industrialists and traders gathered on Sunday to raise their voices against the continued hold on Afghanistan’s reserves.

They said Afghanistan’s severe economic crisis will harm not only Afghanistan but also other countries. “If the money is not released, the crimes will increase, the cultivation of poppy and the smuggling of drugs will increase as well, which hurts Afghanistan and other countries,” said Mohammad Shah Shahab, an industrialist. It is constantly reported that respecting human rights, and granting the right to education and work to women are fundamental conditions set by the international community for the release of the assets.

“The money will not be released and the world will not recognize the new government, if the Islamic Emirate does not implement the conditions,” said Zarqa Yaftali, a human rights activist. After the collapse of former government in August, billions of dollars of Afghanistan’s assets were frozen by the US. The US’s Treasury Department has announced it has no plans to release the assets.