In Khost, pine nuts trade still done in Pakistani rupees

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): Pine nuts traders in southeastern Khost province say the dried fruit business is still being carried out in Pakistani rupees in the province

They asked the government officials concerned to ensure that pine nuts are sold and purchased in the afghanis.

Afsar Ali, one of the businessmen, told Pajhwok that the Pakistani currency was losing its value against the afghani and it had a negative impact on their business.

“Every transaction is done in the afghanis, so our demand is that pine nuts should also be sold and purchased in the local currency. We buy the dried fruit in Pakistani rupees in the mountains and sell it here in the rupees.”

Hakeem Zadran, another trader, said they incurred millions of afghanis loss every year due to the sale and purchase of pine nuts in Pakistani rupees.

He requested the government to stop these transactions in Pakistani currency.

“Pine nuts are sold in the rupees, which has lost its value against the US dollar and the afghani. We want pine nuts sale to be done in afghanis because it is our own currency.”

Nawab Amirzai, head of the Khost Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said the afghani was the only currency in the region that had maintained its value against the dollar.

In order to keep the afghani stable against the dollar and other foreign currencies, the government should stop all foreign currency transactions in the country.

“Purchasing things in foreign currency is not only harmful to our national identity, but it also calls into question our territorial integrity. The Iranian Toman is also used in the western provinces, so the Islamic Emirate must take concrete steps for its identity.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Governor Mehboob Shah Qant told Pajhwok that the provincial government had formed a committee to ban transactions in foreign currencies.

He said the committee had been assigned the task of encouraging people to transact all kinds of goods in afghanis.

“We assure to our Khost residents that this problem will be solved in the near future and other goods, including pine nuts, which are bought and sold in this province in Pakistani rupees, will be done in the afghanis.”

Residents and businessmen in Khost and some neighboring provinces said not only pine nuts trade, but the business of cars and animals is also done in Pakistani rupees.

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