Afghanistan's Taliban authorities on Wednesday mentioned that it's searching for various commerce routes by Central Asia as border closures with Pakistan proceed to cripple commerce and worsen financial losses.Performing commerce minister Nooruddin Azizi mentioned that the nation is shedding practically $200 million each month as a result of shutdown of key crossings with Pakistan, accusing Islamabad of “politically motivated” restrictions. “Pakistan has regularly created obstacles, particularly throughout the fruit export season,” Azizi mentioned throughout a session in Kabul. “These closures are with none foundational or logical foundation, and they're damaging to each international locations.”Not less than 5 main crossings, together with Torkham and Spin Boldak, have been closed for greater than a month following a pointy deterioration in relations. The closures have disrupted commerce, halted exports and triggered important losses for Afghan companies that rely closely on overland entry to Pakistani ports, in accordance with Afghanistan information channel Amu TV. Calling the Pakistan route “high-risk,” Azizi mentioned Afghan merchants have repeatedly suffered losses resulting from arbitrary choices by Pakistani authorities. He urged retailers to strengthen financial ties with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan as an alternative.“We're actively working with northern neighbors to seek out dependable commerce alternate options,” he mentioned. Azizi added that the Taliban authorities would solely commerce with Pakistan on the premise of “mutual respect and equality.”“There can be no commerce below duress. We're below no obligation,” he mentioned.Azizi additionally accused Pakistan of exploiting Afghan merchants and utilizing commerce as political leverage. “Our merchants shouldn't be instruments in Pakistan's palms,” he mentioned. “If Pakistani merchants need entry to Afghan markets, they need to deal with advertising and marketing and outreach themselves. We won't enable one-sided situations.”
Talks collapse amid rising hostilities
The minister's remarks got here days after Pakistan's defence minister Khawaja Asif declared that dialogue between Islamabad and Kabul had collapsed. He mentioned that the negotiations had “entered an indefinite part” after two rounds of talks in Istanbul failed to succeed in an settlement.The collapse in talks follows weeks of cross-border clashes which have killed civilians and troopers on each side, marking probably the most critical escalation in years. The violence started after explosions in Kabul and Paktika on October 9, which the Afghan authorities blamed on Pakistan.Pakistan has neither confirmed nor denied involvement, however its army later mentioned it had carried out retaliatory strikes focusing on militant hideouts and military posts throughout the border. Army spokesman Lt Gen Ahmad Sharif mentioned greater than 200 Afghan troopers and 100 militants have been killed within the strikes, whereas Afghan officers claimed solely 9 troopers had died and accused Pakistan of killing civilians.Afghan spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid mentioned 45 civilians have been killed and over 100 wounded, whereas claiming 58 Pakistani troopers had died, figures Islamabad disputes, saying 23 troopers have been killed.
Financial and political fallout
The clashes has coincided with rising financial pressure inside Afghanistan. With border routes blocked, exports have fallen sharply, inflation has elevated and merchants face rising uncertainty.Pakistan stays certainly one of Afghanistan's largest buying and selling companions, with annual commerce value over $1.5 billion earlier than the most recent closures. However with relations deteriorating, Afghan authorities at the moment are encouraging exporters to redirect items by northern corridors linked to Central Asia.“Our merchants shouldn't be instruments in Pakistan's palms. If Pakistani merchants need entry to Afghan markets, they need to deal with advertising and marketing and outreach themselves. We won't enable one-sided situations,” Azizi mentioned.The 2 international locations share a 2,611-kilometre frontier, often called the Durand Line, drawn throughout British rule in 1893. Afghanistan has by no means formally recognised it as a world border, a long-standing supply of friction that continues to gasoline political and safety disputes.Regardless of mediation efforts by Qatar and Turkey, each side stay entrenched, with no signal of a direct decision. Analysts warn that if the border impasse persists, it might deepen Afghanistan's financial disaster and additional isolate the landlocked nation.
