Over 3,000 Carats of Panjshir Emeralds Sold for More Than 11.6 Million Afghanis
Local officials of the Taliban administration in Panjshir have announced that 3,158 carats of emeralds extracted from the province’s mines have been sold for over 11.6 million Afghanis.
According to the spokesperson for the Panjshir governor, these emeralds were mined in the past two weeks from the mines of Hasa-ye Awal and Paryan districts and handed over to domestic traders through what has been described as a “transparent process.”
He also added that 17 other types of precious stones have been identified and confirmed in various parts of Panjshir, and the extraction of some of these reserves is set to begin soon.
Based on information provided by local authorities, the mining process in Panjshir’s mines is ongoing, with more than 15,000 people currently employed in these areas.
Despite the Taliban administration’s emphasis on transparency in the sales process, specific details regarding how the revenues from the extraction and sale of precious stones are spent have not been disclosed—an issue consistently raised by residents and experts as requiring clarification and accountability.
