Taliban’s suspension of trade ties with Pakistan has triggered widespread concern among businesses fearing severe economic fallout.
Kabul
The Taliban’s recent announcement to suspend trade relations with Pakistan has sparked deep anxiety among traders and customs clearing agents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who fear that the move could inflict significant damage on the region’s fragile economy, local media reported. The abrupt halt, they say, threatens not only daily commercial activity but also the long-standing economic interdependence between the two neighbouring countries.
Reacting to the announcement, Ziaul Haq Sarhadi, Senior Vice-President of the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, warned that Pakistan stands to lose a substantial export market in Afghanistan and the Central Asian states. He noted that Pakistan had recently signed trade agreements with several countries in the region, but the suspension now places those gains at risk. Sarhadi explained that Pakistan exports a wide range of goods to Afghanistan, including fresh fruits, cement, medicines, surgical tools, agricultural machinery, fabrics, shoes, cosmetics, sanitary products and plastic pipes collectively valued between USD 100 million and USD 200 million per month.
We are the ultimate losers due to the closure of our border with Afghanistan as Kabul has more choices than us, he said, emphasising the imbalance in market alternatives between the two nations.
Former president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Zahidullah Shinwari, echoed similar concerns, stating that the suspension would severely affect the Federal Board of Revenue’s tax collection. He noted that millions of rupees were collected daily from imports and exports across the border, forming an essential revenue stream for the government. Shinwari added that industries in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would suffer the most, as many rely heavily on Afghan imports particularly coal to sustain production.
