KABUL: The Taliban government in Afghanistan has ordered Afghan traders to end their trade dependence on Pakistan and explore alternative routes for imports and exports.
According to Afghan media, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar directed traders and industrialists to stop using Pakistan’s routes and instead do business through other countries.
He instructed that all trade relations with Pakistan must be ended within three months and warned that any trader who continues business with Pakistan after the deadline will not receive government support.
Baradar also criticized the quality of medicines imported from Pakistan and gave traders a three-month grace period to close their accounts and start importing from other countries.
He claimed that Afghanistan has now gained access to new trade routes and economic partnerships in different regions, strengthening its economy.
Mullah Baradar further said that if Pakistan wishes to reopen trade routes in the future, it must provide assurances that these routes will not be closed again.
