Residents Demand Resumption of Bayarak-Ashkasham Road Project After Four Years of Halt

Residents of Badakhshan province have called for the immediate resumption of work on the Bayarak–Ashkasham road, a crucial route whose construction was halted nearly four years ago and remains unfinished.

This road connects the center of Badakhshan to the province’s border districts and is considered one of the country’s essential economic corridors. Furthermore, the route links Afghanistan with Tajikistan and China and is part of the historical Silk Road.

Local residents say the continued suspension of this project has made travel and trade difficult, negatively affecting the economic conditions of the border areas. They believe completing the road would foster trade growth and improve access to services for residents.

Despite four years of inactivity, the Taliban administration has not announced a definite timeline for the resumption or completion of the project, which has heightened concerns and criticism among Badakhshan’s inhabitants.