Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund's Speech at the Inauguration Ceremony of Pashdan Dam

In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful

Esteemed officials of the Islamic Emirate, respected scholars, businesspersons, Mujahideen, representatives of the media, and the honorable people of Herat,
 

Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.

Today is a day of joy and pride for me and for the proud Afghan nation, as we have gathered for the inauguration of a major infrastructure project aimed at the country’s development.

We are on the threshold of celebrating the fourth anniversary of independence at a time when the Islamic Emirate, over the past four years, has achieved significant accomplishments in the implementation of Islamic Sharia and in the political and economic arenas. Among these achievements is the Pashdan Dam, a major project that we are handing over for utilization today.

The Pashdan Dam project is an important and vital development for Herat Province. During the commencement of its remaining works last year, I pledged that the Islamic Emirate would complete the outstanding tasks of the Pashdan Dam with full capacity. By the grace of Allah, the remaining works have been completed, and the dam is now being delivered for operational use.

The Pashdan Dam will directly and indirectly create employment opportunities for thousands of citizens, store around 54 million cubic meters of water, irrigate 13,000 hectares of agricultural land, and generate two megawatts of electricity.

The dam will help mitigate the impacts of drought in Herat Province, increase farmers’ incomes, and improve their standard of living. Overall, this dam is a key project for the prosperity and development of Herat Province.

Afghanistan has not experienced growth due to decades of occupation and has lacked a truly functioning economy. Its economy has been dependent on conditional aid from other countries. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is a servant administration for its people and considers the completion of all national projects as its responsibility.

We are determined to strengthen Afghanistan’s economy in the truest sense and to free it from dependence and need, Allah willing. The Islamic Emirate supports national and regional projects to improve the country’s economic situation. The ongoing progress of the TAPI project in Herat Province demonstrates our desire for regional economic coordination, mutual cooperation, and stability.

The Islamic Emirate pursues an economy-centered policy for the economic stability of Afghanistan and the region. We consider enhancing regional connectivity and expanding trade among our fundamental objectives.

The Islamic Emirate seeks to make prudent use of all its natural resources and has no intention of infringing upon the rights of others. We aim to manage our water resources effectively while also ensuring the established rights of others.

Alongside other economic priorities, our goal in water management is to strengthen the national economy. We consider water management as one of the essential measures for reducing poverty, unemployment, and migration in the country.

Since the re-establishment of the Islamic Emirate and the restoration of nationwide security, favorable conditions for investment have emerged. In addition to the water and agriculture sectors, there is a need for investment in various other sectors. I call upon all domestic and foreign investors to take advantage of the investment opportunities in Afghanistan.

I extend my gratitude to the officials of the Islamic Emirate, the engineers, technical staff, laborers, and all those who have contributed their efforts to the completion of the Pashdan Dam. May Allah accept their efforts and hard work.

Finally, I thank the esteemed officials of Herat Province and its honorable people for their hospitality and warm welcome. Once again, I congratulate the Afghan nation on the inauguration of this important project.

Thank you for your attention.