Overview
- Deputy PM Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar ordered businesses to end trade via Pakistan within three months and warned non-compliant traders will forfeit government support.
- Afghan officials signaled a prohibition on Pakistani pharmaceuticals after the grace period, with importers told to shift suppliers promptly.
- Key crossings such as Torkham and Chaman have been shut for over a month, with the joint chamber reporting losses above $100 million and the commerce minister citing nearly $200 million in monthly costs.
- Talks hosted in Istanbul ended without agreement after Pakistan sought a religious decree against the TTP, a demand Kabul rejected as outside its remit.
- Authorities are steering commerce toward corridors through Iran’s Chabahar and Bandar Abbas ports and routes to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, while seeking assurances that any future Pakistan access will remain open.