Afghanistan has requested Pakistan’s immediate release of numerous imported containers stuck at Karachi port due to Islamabad’s crackdown on cross-border cargo. Pakistan claims significant tax losses as goods move duty-free to Afghanistan and are smuggled back. Afghan officials allege Pakistan’s withholding of over 3,000 containers, demanding higher taxes, resulting in substantial trader losses.
The issue was raised by Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, in discussions with Pakistan’s Caretaker Foreign Minister, Jalil Abbas Jilani, highlighting transit challenges between the countries.
According to the Afghan embassy, many containers have been stranded for months, with some held for over a year, causing goods to spoil and traders to suffer. The trade dispute adds to growing tensions between Kabul and Islamabad since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistan recently ordered hundreds of thousands of Afghan migrants to return, claiming voluntary departures, but the Taliban insists on forced repatriations. Pakistan has opened five new border crossings to facilitate this process.
Millions of Afghans fled to Pakistan and Iran over the past decades, mainly due to war and poverty. Pakistan cites security concerns for the deportations amid a surge in attacks linked to militants from Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Afghan authorities struggle to manage the returning population, including individuals who have never been to Afghanistan.
In Balochistan province, officials have flagged around 50,000 Afghan-held identity cards as potentially fake, suspecting an additional 250,000 counterfeit cards. Investigations are ongoing, with plans for strict actions against those involved.
Source: AFP