Afghanistan’s Taliban regime has announced a complete ban on pharmaceutical imports from Pakistan within the next three months, urging local traders to find alternative supply routes. Pakistan welcomed the move, with Defense Minister Khawaja Asif saying it could ease transit-trade complications and help curb militant activity allegedly originating from Afghan soil.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, told traders and industrialists in Kabul that after the three-month deadline, no individual or company would be allowed to import medicines from Pakistan. He criticized the quality of Pakistani medicines, calling them “one of the main problems in Afghanistan’s health sector,” and urged Afghan traders to settle any ongoing contracts with Pakistani suppliers before the ban takes effect.
The decision comes amid escalating tensions between Islamabad and Kabul over the use of Afghan territory for attacks in Pakistan. Despite multiple rounds of talks, bilateral border trade remains closed.
Baradar warned that the Taliban administration would not support traders continuing business with Pakistan after the deadline. He also demanded “practical guarantees” from Islamabad that regional trade routes would remain open and secure.
Highlighting Afghanistan’s growing trade connectivity, Baradar said the country now has access to multiple regional routes and is improving infrastructure. “Trade and refugee issues must not undermine Afghanistan’s economic independence,” he added.
Pakistan has long complained that a large volume of duty-free Afghan transit imports is smuggled back into its territory, undercutting local manufacturers, reducing tax revenue, and fueling illicit economies. Officials note that cross-border smuggling networks often overlap with militant and criminal groups, adding to security challenges in Pakistan’s western provinces.
