By Islamuddin Sajid and Riyaz ul Khaliq
ISLAMABAD / ISTANBUL (AA) - Afghanistan’s interim administration led by the Taliban on Wednesday urged the country’s traders and industrialists to explore alternative trade routes instead of relying on Pakistan, official media reported.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the interim deputy prime minister for economic affairs, issued the directive during a meeting with business representatives in Kabul, according to Bakhtar News Agency.
Baradar stressed the “urgency of this shift,” saying it should be implemented “as soon as possible.” He claimed that Pakistan’s repeated closure of border crossings had been “used for political leverage, leading to significant losses for Afghan traders.”
Islamabad has yet to respond to the statement from Kabul.
Baradar added: “If Pakistan wants to open the routes with Afghanistan this time, it must provide firm guarantees that it will not close it again under any circumstances or conditions,” Tolo News reported.
Relations between the two neighbors have deteriorated in recent weeks following deadly border clashes last month. Both sides have held several rounds of talks to address disputes over militant activity, and a ceasefire currently remains in place.
Frequent closures of key crossings due to clashes and rising militant attacks have disrupted trade and travel between the two countries, worsening economic strain on Afghan businesses.