Mohammad Mirza Kundazi, a goods importer with a sideline in money changing, haggled his own ransom down to $100,000 from $2m seven days after being bundled into a car outside his house last month but his kidnapping, and others like it, are costing his country much more.

On his release from the toilet in which he was chained throughout the ordeal, Mr Kundazi joined a growing band of Afghan entrepreneurs who are moving their businesses to Dubai or at the least scrapping investment projects.