Taliban Sells Thousands of Carats of Panjshir Emeralds in Domestic Auction

The Taliban administration has announced the sale of 3,941 carats of emeralds from Afghanistan’s Panjshir province to domestic traders for more than six million Afghanis. The gemstones were sold through an auction overseen by Taliban authorities.

According to Bakhtar News Agency, a Taliban-affiliated outlet, the sale was confirmed on Tuesday (13 Aqrab) by Saifuddin Laton, spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Panjshir. He stated that the emeralds were extracted from local mines before being auctioned off.

The increase in the extraction and sale of natural resources in Afghanistan’s mineral-rich provinces has raised growing concerns over the Taliban’s transparency and accountability in managing these revenues. Afghanistan’s natural resources, which should benefit the country’s population, are reportedly being used by the Taliban administration as a key source of funding in the absence of proper oversight.

Panjshir, a mountainous region in northeastern Afghanistan, is home to some of the country’s most valuable emerald mines. The province has a long history of gemstone mining, making it a significant center for ornamental stone extraction.