[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- WOMEN PROTEST CLOSURES OF BEAUTY SALONS – Citing serious economic ramifications of forcing roughly 12,000 places of business to close, salon owners and those employed in the beauty industry protested last week at the headquarters of the Union of Women’s Beauty Salons. Many who were interviewed about the new policy said the career was one of the few left to women in a country that is increasingly resembling the Afghanistan of the 1990s. Many of the women who spoke to journalists say the world has turned its back on them and there are no options for the many widows and primary incomes for households. Those few voices that urged moderation and more liberalized treatment of women have now been silenced and the Deobandist school of ‘thought’ is settling over Afghanistan like a grain sack.
- KABUL’S WATER PROBLEM IS GETTING WORSE – Drinking water in the capital is scarce and getting scarcer. Private companies that are selling drinking water have ballooned in 2023 and private citizens who have contracted for these services are often told they must come in and sign new contracts with the ever-present fee increases. For its part, the Taliban’s Directorate of Water says there is no emergency and the system is working as it should. Normal citizens are left to purify water themselves and this often involves boiling the liquid which adds additional expenses for the fuel required. It is not clear how widespread the problem is in other parts of the country but Kabul is definitely facing a crisis. According to the US Center for Disease Control, there are some approved methods of purifying water at home and we have included those in THIS LINK.
- POPULAR RADIO STATION IN BALKH FORCED TO SHUTTER OPERATIONS – Nehad Radio has suspended its programming due to financial difficulties. Costs associated with powering the station were cited as the primary reason the station has been forced to close but other issues were contributing factors. Among those listed was a lack of funding from external supporters and challenges that all media outlets are facing with regard to accessing information. The station had been in operation for sixteen years but was reeling from a questionable fire that took place earlier this year that damaged equipment. In total, 25 people have lost their jobs (7 of whom are women) as a result of the closure.
- PAKISTAN’S PM COMMITS TO HANDING OVER GOVERNMENT POWER TO INTERIM GOVERNMENT IN AUGUST – Yesterday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif informed the country that his government will vacate its role in August and let an interim government lead it through the election period. The expected date of transfer is said to be 14 August. Pakistan’s constitution allows for several methods of naming an interim leader but the process is expected to be contentious. Political party leaders have already begun meeting to decide on an interim Prime Minister.
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