Taliban’s Economic Deputy Sets Tough Conditions for Reopening Trade with Pakistan

In a recent meeting with traders and industrialists in Kabul, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs, announced that trade routes with Pakistan will only be reopened once Islamabad provides a written and unequivocal guarantee that these routes will not be closed again under any circumstances.

Suspension of Pharmaceutical Imports and Seeking Alternatives

Baradar’s firm stance comes amid a closure of border crossings by Pakistan that has lasted over a month, following heightened tensions and clashes between the forces of both countries. He urged traders and industrialists to explore alternative trade routes and reduce dependency on paths through Pakistan due to the instability in commercial relations. The Taliban official also issued another significant trade directive, demanding a halt to pharmaceutical imports from Pakistan. He granted drug importers a three-month period to settle any active contracts with Pakistani traders and to change their supply sources. As of now, Pakistan has not commented on Baradar’s explicit remarks. Notably, the third round of negotiations between the Taliban and Pakistan, held last Friday in Istanbul, Turkey, concluded without results, with both sides blaming each other for the lack of progress. The Taliban’s new conditions regarding the reopening of the border and the suspension of pharmaceutical imports are seen as diplomatic aftershocks from this unsuccessful negotiation.