Taliban gives Afghan traders 3 month to reduce dependence on Pakistan

Darwin, 13 November–

Afghanistan’s Taliban government has given local traders a three-month ultimatum to reduce their dependence on Pakistani goods and trade routes. Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar announced the decision.

Speaking at a press conference in Kabul on Wednesday, Baradar said,

“Pakistan regularly closes its trade routes to our businessmen. This is an insult to our national dignity. Therefore, to protect Afghanistan’s trade, industry, and the rights of Afghans, we have made this decision.”

Most trade between the two countries takes place through the Torkham border crossing in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, though several other border points are also used for commercial purposes.

Relations between Afghanistan and its once-close ally Pakistan have sharply deteriorated in recent years, reaching a low point since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021.

The main source of tension is the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a militant group ideologically aligned with the Afghan Taliban. The group’s attacks over the past several years have killed thousands of Pakistani soldiers and civilians. Pakistan has outlawed the TTP as a terrorist organization, but it has only grown stronger since the Taliban came to power in Kabul.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, is the TTP’s main stronghold. The group aims to carve the province out of Pakistan and establish an Islamist state modeled after present-day Afghanistan. The TTP is now considered one of Pakistan’s most serious security threats.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban government of harboring and supporting TTP fighters since 2021, allegations that Kabul consistently denies.

On October 9, Pakistan’s military launched an airstrike in Kabul, killing TTP chief Noor Wali Mehsud, his deputy Qari Saifullah Mehsud, and several other senior leaders.

Two days later, on October 11, Afghan forces attacked Pakistani army posts along the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border. Pakistan retaliated, leading to armed clashes that lasted until October 14. According to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), about 200 Afghan soldiers and 23 Pakistani troops were killed in the fighting.

On October 15, officials from both countries began ceasefire and peace negotiations—first in Doha, Qatar, and later in Istanbul, Turkey. However, the talks collapsed after Afghanistan refused to sign a written agreement.

Since October 9, the Torkham border crossing and several others have remained closed, halting all bilateral trade for over a month.

Malik Sohni, president of the All Pakistan Markets Federation, said at a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday that the closure has severely affected Pakistan’s domestic market.

“Hundreds of trucks carrying fruits, vegetables, and other agricultural products are stuck on the other side of the crossings. Most of the goods have spoiled. Food prices are rising across Pakistan, and hundreds of workers have lost their jobs. Both Pakistan’s business community and the treasury are suffering due to the border closure,” Sohni said.

Source: NDTV