In a major geopolitical and economic shift, the Taliban-led Afghan government has given its traders a three-month deadline to sharply reduce and ultimately end dependence on Pakistan for imports and transit trade. The directive, announced by Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, reflects growing Afghan frustration over recurring border closures, tariff disputes, and what Kabul describes as Pakistan’s “economic pressure tactics”.
The move follows repeated shutdowns of key crossing points such as Torkham and Chaman, which Afghan officials claim have caused losses of over $200 million per month, disrupting food, medicine, and raw material supply chains. The Taliban government now aims to reroute trade through Iran’s Chabahar Port, Central Asia’s rail corridors, and newly negotiated transit pathways via Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan signalling a long-term reorientation of Afghanistan’s trade geography.
Pakistan, long the primary gateway for Afghan commerce, faces potential economic repercussions, including reduced customs revenue and shifting regional logistics patterns. The directive also includes a plan to phase out Pakistani medicines, alleging low quality; a move that could reshape Afghanistan’s pharmaceutical supply but raises concerns of short-term shortages.
Regional implications are significant: Iran stands to gain strategically; India’s Chabahar project gets renewed relevance; and Central Asian states see an opportunity to deepen economic integration with Kabul. However, analysts caution that Afghanistan’s infrastructure constraints, high transit costs, and limited institutional capacity may challenge rapid diversification.
The deadline underscores a worsening Kabul-Islamabad relationship and marks one of the boldest economic repositioning attempts by the Taliban since taking power in 2021.
