[3] Watan Group is a partner of China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), which in December 2011 received Afghanistan's first big contract for oil field exploration and development.
They control the road because they have a pact with a local militia leader, Commander Ruhullah, who is thought to charge $1,500 for one truck to travel to Kandahar, a distance of 300 kilometers.
He stated that they have not received any business as a result of being related to Hamid Karzai and that they do not pay anybody to prevent convoys being attacked (in fact 50 guards die each month on average).
The Army decided not to debar Watan, opting instead for an administrative agreement that says the company may not bid on any convoy security contracts paid for with U.S. tax dollars for the next three years.
However, the ban does not affect the other companies owned by the Popals, which include oil, gas, steel, construction and telecom businesses, according to the terms of the agreement signed in early August.
Furthermore, in the summer of 2011, in a stunning reversal of course, Army officials inexplicably stopped the debarment proceedings and settled with Watan Risk Management and Commander Ruhullah.