The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Afghanistan imposed a complete ban on the import of medicine from Pakistan beginning Monday, according to the Taliban-run broadcaster RTA.
The decision, which took effect on February 9, is part of a
broader effort to crack down on smuggled goods entering the country, RTA
reported.
Abdul Qayyum Nasir, a spokesperson for the Taliban’s Finance
Ministry, said authorities would strictly prevent the entry of Pakistani-made
medicines and other illicit items at all border crossings.
The ministry had previously announced that after February 9,
medicine imported from Pakistan would no longer be cleared through customs
anywhere in the country, effectively halting all legal entry of pharmaceuticals
from the neighboring nation.
Relations between the Taliban government and Pakistan have
deteriorated in recent months, as Islamabad accuses the Taliban of allowing
militant groups to operate from Afghan soil. Those groups have claimed
responsibility for deadly attacks on Pakistan’s security forces and
infrastructure, straining ties between the two neighbors.
