The Afghanistan National Standards Authority has signed a contract worth more than $46 million with Indian international company TCRC for the construction and equipping of advanced laboratory complexes in Kabul and at nine border crossings across the country.
The agreement was announced during a meeting attended by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Abdul Ghani Baradar along with officials from the standards authority and representatives of the Indian company.
According to officials, the project is aimed at establishing modern laboratory facilities to strengthen quality control, technical testing, and standards monitoring for goods entering and leaving Afghanistan through major trade routes.
Authorities said the laboratory complexes would be developed in the Afghan capital as well as at nine border crossings, though additional implementation details were not immediately disclosed.
The announcement comes amid continuing concerns surrounding press freedom and the detention of journalists in Afghanistan.
Earlier this week, Taliban intelligence personnel besieged the offices of TOLOnews and its parent media network in Kabul for several hours following reports regarding the detention of two journalists associated with the outlet.
According to informed sources, dozens of armed intelligence personnel surrounded the organization’s headquarters in Kabul’s Wazir Akbar Khan area, restricting movement and temporarily disrupting operations across television, radio, and digital platforms operating under the network.
The incident followed the reported detention of a news presenter and political programme host, as well as a senior political editor linked to the organization. Media watchdog groups later urged the United Nations and international organizations to intervene for the release of detained journalists and warned of worsening conditions for independent media in Afghanistan.
Reports circulating on Tuesday further suggested that Taliban authorities had decided to place at least one of the detained journalists on trial, though no formal public statement had been issued by authorities at the time of reporting.
