Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, has announced that the import of medicines from Pakistan will be completely banned within the next three months.
Speaking at a meeting in Kabul on Wednesday( November 12), Baradar directed the Taliban’s Ministry of Finance to ensure that no individual or company is allowed to import medicines from Pakistan after the deadline.
Baradar said that Pakistani medicines are of poor quality and have become one of the major problems in Afghanistan’s health sector. He urged Afghan pharmaceutical traders to seek alternative import routes and to settle any financial accounts or contacts they currently have in Pakistan before the ban takes effect.
The decision comes amid rising tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, following repeated border closures and strained trade relations. According to Barader, Pakistan’s decision to close key border crossing has caused significant financial losses to Afghan traders, understanding the need to explore alternative trade routes.
Currently, several crossings remain open only for the return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan.
Gul Murad Arab, head of the Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said that the closure of the Torkham border alone results in an estimated loss of around $2.5 million per day for Afghan traders.
