Stanikzai Threatens Islamabad To Close Central Asia Route For Pakistani Goods

Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister, expressed concern regarding the problems in exporting Afghan traders' products and threatened Pakistan that it will close the Central Asian route for Pakistani goods.

Stanikzai said at a meeting in Logar province on Wednesday that they face problems at the borders when Afghanistan's crops come to fruition.

He added that they had discussed this issue and the closure of the routes with fruit and vegetable traders in detail.

Stanikzai asked Pakistan not to close trade routes during the harvest season of fruits and vegetables in Afghanistan so that the products of Afghan traders can reach the people of Pakistan and from there they can be exported to India and other countries. He stressed that closing the route is not in the interest of either side.

"Afghanistan is a transit route between Pakistan and Central Asia. We can also take countermeasures. We can close our borders and create problems for them. But we don't want to cause problems for our Pakistani Muslim brothers."

Earlier, Attaullah Omari, the Taliban's Minister of Agriculture, announced that Afghanistan's fruit exports to neighbouring countries have faced problems. During a meeting with a number of businessmen, he said that the Taliban are negotiating with Pakistan to facilitate the export of fresh Afghan fruits to this country.

The Torkham crossing has been closed several times in the past three years following border clashes between Pakistani forces and the Taliban. Currently, the main road between Peshawar and Torkham has been blocked due to protests by some Pakistani citizens.

Pakistani media have reported that trucks carrying fruit are using alternate routes, which are rough and dirty, on a limited basis.