During a visit to Pakistan, a Taliban minister brought up the matter of assets belonging to refugees.
Afghanistan has called on Pakistan to release numerous shipments of imports that have been stranded at Karachi Port since Islamabad implemented restrictions on cross-border cargo.
The acting commerce minister of the Taliban held discussions with Pakistan's foreign minister in Islamabad this week, focusing on trade matters and addressing the expulsion of thousands of Afghan citizens by Pakistan, who are being asked to repatriate their assets. The meeting occurred shortly after Pakistan justified the mass expulsion, attributing it to the Taliban-led administration's alleged reluctance to counter militants using Afghanistan as a base for attacks on Pakistan.
Taliban officials consider militancy an internal issue for Pakistan, urging Islamabad to cease the deportation of Afghan citizens. The Afghanistan Embassy in Islamabad reported that the talks between Acting Commerce Minister Haji Nooruddin Azizi and Caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani covered bilateral trade, the release of stranded Afghan goods at Karachi Port, and the smooth transfer of Afghan refugees' properties back to Afghanistan.
Afghanistan called on Pakistan to release numerous containers of imports stuck at Karachi Port, citing restrictions on cross-border cargo imposed by Islamabad. Pakistani authorities claimed significant tax losses due to duty-free transportation of goods to land-locked Afghanistan, leading to smuggling back into Pakistan. Afghan authorities argued that over 3,000 Afghanistan-bound containers had been halted at Karachi Port, causing substantial financial losses to traders.
The trade dispute further strained Kabul-Islamabad relations since the Taliban's return to power. Pakistan reported over 300,000 voluntary departures of Afghans since October, attributing the deportations to security concerns. The Afghan Taliban disputed this, asserting forced repatriation.
As part of the repatriation efforts, Pakistan opened new border crossing points. Meanwhile, the trade minister's meeting with Pakistan and Uzbekistan aimed to explore potential regional trade and connectivity, emphasizing collective action against terrorism. The agenda included plans for trade transit and railway connections between South and Central Asia, passing through Afghanistan.
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