The office of Mullah Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs of the Taliban, has announced the launch of extraction operations at 21 major mines in various regions across Afghanistan.

According to the statement, these mines include resources such as gold, ruby, lead and zinc, iron, chromite, barite, coal, and raw materials for cement production.

The announcement, made on Sunday through the official X (formerly Twitter) account of the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, outlined specific mining locations: gold mines in the Chah Ab district of Takhar and Doshi district of Baghlan; a ruby mine in the Jagdalak district of Kabul; iron mines in the Ghoryan and Pashtun Zarghun districts of Herat; and lead and zinc mines in Tolak district of Ghor province. Plans are also underway for extracting raw materials for cement production in the Jabal al-Saraj district of Parwan, Zinda Jan in Herat, and Shorandam in Kandahar.

The statement did not disclose specific details regarding the types of contracts involved or the planned methods of extraction.

The Taliban administration has faced significant criticism over its handling of economic contracts, particularly due to concerns over transparency and the absence of international oversight.

Critics argue that many of these contracts are awarded without adhering to international standards or comprehensive reviews.

In February, former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stated that mining contracts granted "secretly" by the Taliban lack international legitimacy. Ghani expressed concerns that it remains unclear for how long these contracts are awarded and how the resulting revenue is being utilised.

The lack of a clear legal framework and adequate oversight, especially for large-scale mining contracts, has raised concerns that these mining activities may be pursued without consideration for Afghanistan’s long-term economic, environmental, and social interests.