Taliban’s minister discusses trade, refugees with Pakistani counterpart

ISLAMABAD: The acting commerce minister of the Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan, Haji Nooruddin Azizi, engaged in discussions with Pakistan’s caretaker Foreign Minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani, in Islamabad.

According to a statement issued by the Afghan embassy on Tuesday, the meeting discussed bilateral trade, the fate of stranded goods in Karachi port belonging to Afghan traders, and the smooth transfer of Afghan refugees’ assets back to Afghanistan.

This diplomatic encounter occurred days after Pakistan’s decision to expel hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghans, citing the Taliban’s reluctance to address militants using Afghanistan as a base for attacks in Pakistan. The Taliban officials argue that internal security matters are Pakistan’s concern, urging Islamabad to cease the deportation of Afghan citizens.

White House says it has evidence Hamas using Al Shifa hospital to run military actions

Afghan citizens returning to their homeland have reported challenges in transferring cash and property from Pakistan, where many had established businesses and homes over decades. The Pakistani Foreign Office conveyed Jilani’s message, emphasising the potential for regional trade and connectivity through collective action against terrorism.

The Afghan minister, Haji Nooruddin Azizi, urged Pakistan to release thousands of containers carrying imports stuck at Karachi Port. Pakistani authorities claim substantial losses in tax revenue due to duty-free goods sent from its ports to landlocked Afghanistan, only to be smuggled back across the border.

Among the affected goods are high-end electronics, machine parts, chemicals, and textiles, all subject to significant tariffs if imported into Pakistan. Pakistani officials argue that the quantities of these goods destined for Afghanistan in the past two years are disproportionately high, considering the market size there.