Sarai Shahzada, Afghanistan’s largest money exchange market in the Capital Kabul, witnessed a drastic decline in US dollar value against the Afghani in the last two days. The local currency saw a sudden reduction of almost 3 AFN against the US dollar in Kabul city. Traders and merchants at Sarai Shahzada have linked the boost in Afghani currency to the banning of Pakistani Rupees in Kandahar–an initiative taken by General Abdul Raziq. Provincial police chief of the southern Kandahar province, General Raziq, has reportedly put a ban on Pakistani Rupees in the province. Pakistani Rupees, known in Afghanistan as "Kaldar", is commonly used in southern provinces of Uruzgan, Zabul, Kandahar and Helmand. Also the Central Bank of Afghanistan has intensified its efforts to ban usage of Pakistani Rupees across the country. A letter is circulating Kandahar province in three local languages asking residents to use Afghani (AFN) instead of foreign currencies.
According to the letter, deals in Pakistani currency are strictly banned and violators will be fined.
