Today Afghanistan has a government elected through a democratic process, a growing economy, functional media, civil society, thousands of running educational institutes, women in offices and in the parliament and an upright army.

These achievements must not be neglected, although the country faces severe challenges like lowest security, massive corruption, drug trafficking etc. Development in Afghanistan has been possible through support from international community. But Afghanistan has reached a point where the international community has planned to diminish its military and non-military roles here.

When we talk about the international community's withdrawal from Afghanistan, we predict –keeping in view our past and current experience – that security will deteriorate. But we are forgetting one important point and that is the negative impact on our economy that will be left behind by reduction of international engagement in Afghanistan.

International financial aids are what Afghanistan economy solely depends on but how long? How long can the Western countries pour funds in Afghanistan? They should be worried about their own economies. The international community is reducing its role and with that drastic decrement in aids is anticipated. Investment in various sectors, mining on the top and agriculture and industry following it, could push the economy of Afghanistan towards self-reliance. But that is not happening and dreams for a swift economic stability seem to have broken into pieces. .

To that, there may be countless reasons with the deteriorated security condition deemed to be the greatest hurdle to economic prosperity, as it has been for all other social and democratic development. The concerns of security have done much to stop investors who were previously having on mind to invest in Afghanistan. As result, economy is facing many challenges. Afghanistan will continue to remain dependent on foreign aids. Its economic stability is subject to failure, if donor countries stop their funds.

Already the Afghan economy is failing to create job opportunities – according to Ministry of Labor, about two million people, mostly youth, are unemployed in Afghanistan – reduction of international financial assistance would lead this country towards recession and its weak economy will perish before it nurtures.

Whether today or tomorrow, western money will stop coming to Afghanistan. Although government has not fully availed almost a decade, still it is not too late for strategic planning to boost the economy. The government needs work with West to improve security, win the trust of investors by providing them safety and facilities, reduce corruption in its own offices and curb the illegal trade of opium.