: Selling coal cheaply to Pak paints Taliban as Pakistani puppets #IndiaNEWS #National,International,South Asia,Politics,Top Story New Delhi, July 16 (IANS) Cash-strapped and cut off from international

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Selling coal cheaply to Pak paints Taliban as Pakistani puppets #IndiaNEWS #National ,International,South Asia,Politics,Top Story
New Delhi, July 16 (IANS) Cash-strapped and cut off from international aid, the Taliban-led government is tapping into Afghanistans natural resources to boost revenue, media reports said.
Ever since the Taliban toppled the Western-backed government in Kabul and seized power in August 2021, the export of and customs duties from coal have become a key source of revenue for the militant group, RFE/RL reported.
Afghanistan has significant deposits of coal. Out of the countrys 80 coal mines, 17 are operational, with most located in central and northern Afghanistan. Much of the coal is being trucked to neighbouring Pakistan, which is facing a severe energy crisis, the report said.
The revelation sparked a public outcry in Afghanistan, where many have long viewed the Taliban as a Pakistani proxy. Islamabad has been the militants key foreign sponsor for decades and sheltered the Islamist group during its nearly 20-year insurgency against Afghan and international forces.
The Taliban are sensitive to how Afghans domestically perceive them, said Hameed Hakimi, an Afghanistan expert at the Washington-based Atlantic Council.
Therefore, selling coal cheaply to Pakistan would inevitably paint them as Pakistani puppets, he said, RFE/RL reported.
Ultimately, Hakimi said, the price hike has a lot to do with the Talibans desperate need to raise funds and maximise revenues.
The price hike came soon after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced plans to import heavily discounted coal from Afghanistan using Pakistani rupees to save dwindling foreign reserves, RFE/RL reported.
Pakistan is reportedly re-evaluating its purchase of Afghan coal following the Talibans decision to more than double prices for the commodity. Chinese energy companies in Pakistan have threatened to stop importing Afghan coal.
But exports have hit snags recently after the Taliban hiked prices, in a move that has put off importers. Competing claims over coal mines has also triggered Taliban infighting, RFE/RL reported.
Foreign trade has fallen off dramatically since the Taliban seized power, and the international assistance that once propped up the Afghan economy has evaporated, leaving the Taliban to fund its government on its own. No country has recognized the Taliban-led government, which has been hit by international sanctions.
The Taliban has relied heavily on tax collection and the increased export of valuable natural resources like coal to generate revenue.
In May, the militants increased coal exports to Pakistan, aiming to generate more revenue from Afghanistans mining sector and capitalize on record prices for coal. Global supplies have fallen due to Russias war against Ukraine and top exporter Indonesias ban on exports.

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