Kabul: Taliban’s Political Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai has lashed out against Pakistan for creating obstacles for Afghan traders during the peak trading season for fruits and vegetables. He also suggested the possibility of Afghanistan closing Pakistan’s transit route to Central Asia as a response to Islamabad’s trade restrictions.
According to Khaama Press, Stanikzai speaking to a group of traders in the Logar province of Afghanistan emphasised that closing trade and transit routes into Pakistan would not be beneficial for either country.
“Afghanistan serves as a vital transit route between Pakistan and Central Asia,” he said. “We could close our borders and cause them problems, but we do not wish to harm our Pakistani brothers across the border.”
Further he said, “We ask them to keep their borders open during Afghanistan’s fruit and vegetable season so that these products can reach their markets and beyond, including India and other countries.”
The overall nuts segment of the nuts and dry fruits mostly consists of almonds, pistachios, walnuts, dried apricots, dried figs and raisins in Afghanistan. These are sold to neighbouring countries in Asia but trade restrictions by Pakistan have hindered access to ports and land routes for the landlocked country.
This is the first time Kabul has suggested the possibility of closing Pakistan’s transit route to Central Asia as a response to Islamabad’s trade restrictions. The closure of trade routes during the fruit and vegetable season, along with Pakistan’s increase in customs tariffs and non-compliance with trade agreements, has led to a 10 per cent decline in Afghanistan’s exports to Pakistan in the first five months of this year, Khaama Press reported.
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