KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban government in Afghanistan has announced that it will ban the import of medicines from Pakistan starting 21 Sha’ban (February 9). The Ministry of Finance has urged pharmaceutical traders and importers to complete all pending transactions and paperwork within the remaining 19 days.
Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar, who oversees economic affairs, said the move comes amid ongoing tensions with Pakistan and will last up to three months. He also encouraged traders to seek alternative supply routes to ensure the country’s medical needs are met.
Afghanistan relies heavily on imports from Pakistan for many essential medicines, and experts warn that the ban could disrupt access to healthcare. Already, medicine prices have surged sharply in local markets, with the Taliban’s Central Statistics Department reporting that treatment costs have increased by more than 17 percent since the announcement.
Health workers and patients are concerned that the disruption may worsen an already fragile healthcare system in Afghanistan, where shortages of essential drugs have been a recurring problem.
