Afghanistan Times
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AT-KABUL: The Taliban insurgents on Tuesday offered security to mega developmental projects in the country.
In a media statement the militant group said that it backs all uplift projects in Afghanistan and would provide security to them.
“The Islamic Emirate [Taliban] not only backs all national projects which are in the interest of the people and result in the development and prosperity of the nation but are also committed to safeguarding them,” the statement said.
According to the statement the group has drafted guidelines in order to back the important projects including the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline (TAPI), CASA-1000 electricity transmission line, Mes Aynak copper mine, highway and railway projects as well as power and agricultural dams.
The Taliban leadership directed the fighters to help in the security of all national projects, the statement claimed.
On the other hand, Afghan officials and analysts are of the view that the Taliban are not sincere because many important developmental projects are hampered by the militant group.
An official on the condition of anonymity said the insurgent group is planting improvised explosive devices in Mes Aynak and kidnapped several deminers in the area in the past.
“If they were sincere then why they are kidnapping the deminers in Logar and planting roadside bombs,” he said.
According to security affairs analysts the Metallurgical Corporation of China (MCC) failed to resume the work on the Mes Aynak project due to insecurity.
NASA estimated the value of Mes Aynak project around $247 billion and former officials in Ministry of Mines and Petroleum predicated Aynak excavation would take 70 years to process the cooper.
The significant achievement of the Mes Aynak project is digging 48 deep exploratory wells for identifying of the copper mine, arrangement of operation plan for displaced families in the area, construction of two high schools, establishment of township with capacity of 512 plots for displace families, construction of one masque and digging two potable well for people .
Similarly, the much needed Kamal Khan Dam is becoming a lost cause due to insecurity. The dam has come under attacks by militants many times.
