'People in Kabul might start looting if banks stay closed'

Kabul, Aug 24 (IANS) The closure of banks and money exchange markets in Afghanistan capital Kabul has created concerns among people and experts believe the situation will cause economic downturn.

With the return of the Taliban to Kabul on August 15, all banking activities were closed and they are still shut, Afghan media reported.

An angry man, who waited to withdraw his money from Kabul Bank, said that there were no jobs and people had no money for buying bread. He said that people might start looting and other crimes if the banks stayed closed and commerce stopped, reports said.

Najla Rahil, a Facebook user in a post said, "All the assets of our people are in banks. Now banks are closed and no one can take even wages. What this miserable nation can do? To whom they should complain?"

Shafiqullah Azizi, who waited for days in front of a branch of Azizi Bank to withdraw money from his account, said that he was unable to withdraw despite he was in urgent need of it.

He said that there were reports that the banks would be reopened on last Saturday, but they were yet to be opened.

Qais Mohammadi, another resident of Kabul who visited the main headquarters of the bank, told Pajhwok Afghan News that he visited the bank on a daily basis after the Taliban's takeover of Kabul, but the bank remained closed.

He complained about his economic problems and said, "I am a government officer, our salaries were transferred to our accounts two days ahead of the collapse of the government, but my money is stuck in the bank and I don't know what to do, I have no money even for buying bread."