Taliban orders end to trade with Pakistan as tensions escalate after Islamabad blast

Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi (C) - File Photo

In a major escalation of tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, Afghanistan’s Taliban government has announced plans to sharply curtail trade and transit with Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of repeatedly blocking Afghan routes and using economic pressure as a political weapon.

The decision was announced by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Afghanistan’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, in a strongly worded statement that effectively calls for a gradual halt to cross-border commerce. The move comes after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif warned that the country was “in a state of war” and threatened “targeted action” against Afghanistan following a deadly suicide blast in Islamabad.

Baradar said the Taliban government had run out of patience with Pakistan’s repeated obstruction of Afghan trade. “In order to protect the dignity of the country, safeguard trade, industry, and the rights of Afghans, the Islamic Emirate has informed our brotherly traders that Pakistan has repeatedly blocked the routes for our trade and has used non-political issues as political tools,” he said.

Taliban orders trade diversion

Baradar laid out a three-point plan instructing Afghan traders to minimise dependence on Pakistan and seek alternate routes and suppliers.

“All traders should, as much as possible, reduce trade with Pakistan and use other available routes for the transit of goods,” he declared.

The statement further urged Afghan businesses to source imports from other regional markets, citing improved connectivity and trade partnerships with Central Asia, Iran, China, and Turkey. “Imports that currently come from Pakistan should be redirected to alternative markets and countries, which, thankfully, now exist in large numbers,” Baradar said.

In a particularly strong directive, he announced a complete ban on importing medicines from Pakistan. “Medicines must be imported entirely from other countries. Traders should settle their accounts and wrap up their dealings there. After three months, the Ministry of Finance will neither tax nor allow the import of medicines coming from Pakistan,” the statement read.

Growing rift after failed talks

Baradar’s comments follow the collapse of bilateral peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which were aimed at easing border tensions and addressing Pakistan’s accusations that the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) operates from Afghan soil. According to Afghan officials, Islamabad’s “aggressive stance” and demands for unilateral concessions derailed the dialogue.

Earlier this week, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif accused Kabul of turning a blind eye to cross-border terrorism, warning that Islamabad would “respond decisively.” Afghan leaders, however, dismissed his threats as political posturing and warned that any cross-border incursion would be met with force.

Afghanistan’s economic pushback

Baradar’s move to restrict trade is being seen as a direct challenge to Pakistan’s economic leverage over Afghanistan. For decades, Pakistan has served as Afghanistan’s main trade and transit route, controlling key access points to global markets. But worsening diplomatic ties and frequent border closures have led Kabul to look for alternatives.

Analysts say the Taliban’s statement marks the most serious attempt yet to dismantle Pakistan’s economic grip on Afghanistan. By turning to Central Asia, Iran, and China for trade, the Taliban hopes to reduce dependence on a neighbor they now see as hostile and unreliable.

While Pakistan continues to accuse Afghanistan of harboring militants, Kabul’s new stance suggests that the rift between the two regimes has turned into an open economic confrontation. With both sides trading threats, the once porous Durand Line now appears to be hardening into a frontline of political and economic hostility.