FAIZABAD - Minister for Labour, Social Affairs, Martyrs and Disabled Dr. Nasrin Oryakhel on Sunday said thousands of Afghan labourers would be sent to Saudi Arabia and Qatar in near future to arrest soaring unemployment in the country.

Oryakhel, who visited northeastern Badakhshan province, said joblessness had unexpectedly risen and most of educated youth were unemployed due to a shortage of job opportunities.

Speaking to reporters, she said her ministry had been in contact with the Gulf countries on manpower exports. An agreement would be inked soon with Qatar on 15,000 Afghan labourers being sent there for work, she revealed.

She informed that Saudi Arabia had also shown interest to hire 300,000 skilled Afghan workers. Qualified and skilled individuals would be sent to the kingdom for work, she added.

The minister said currently more than four million people were jobless and another 400,000 individuals were added to the number in one year’s time. She criticised the allocation of more funds to defence and interior ministries, saying peace and stability was the only solution to overcome unemployment.

Governor Shah Wali Adib acknowledged growing unemployment contributed to insecurity and lawlessness, saying many youth had joined militant ranks.

Ziauddin Wasiq, a member of the provincial council, said around 4,000 youth had graduated from public and private universities in Badakhshah, but they remained jobless. He urged the government to strive to generate jobs for them. (Pajhwok)