Afghanistan Times
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KABUL: A large number of women set a rally in capital Kabul to protest US President Joe Biden’s decision of the Afghan assets.
Biden last Friday signed an executive order to preserve $3.5 billion of Afghan assets for potential compensation payments to victims of 9/11. A similar amount is due to flow to the Afghanistan humanitarian needs.
Talking to the US Institute of Peace, Thomas West, the US special envoy for Afghanistan, said Biden’s decision was misinterpreted.
The women in Kabul rally called on Biden to mull over his decision as the assets belongs to Afghanistan- a country, whose people are struggling with poverty.
“A rich country is taking the bread from the napkin of the poor people under the excuse of war compensation, it has nothing to do with war,” said Toor Pikai, the deputy of Women for Peace and Freedom.
The women said that Afghanistan has been plunged into an economic crisis and that the assets should remain in order to support the Afghan economy.
“We protest and call for the release of Afghan assets. Afghanistan should have access to it, so we can be rescued from an economic crisis,” said Setara Muftkhir, a university instructor.
This comes as the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi said that he brought up the issue of the Afghan assets with a US official in Doha, calling it unacceptable.
Economists believe that the lack of funds in reserve will affect the Afghan economic sector.
“Afghanistan relies on imports and all commodities are imported from overseas, if the money in reserve is spent, the Afghan currency will lose its value against foreign currencies,” said Abdul Naseer Rishtia.
The Biden’s decision of the Afghan assets faced strong reactions inside and outside the country.
