Fazl al-Rahman Says Pakistan Border Closures Have Expanded Afghanistan's Trade with Other Countries

Molana Fazl al-Rahman stated at a press conference that Pakistan's policy of closing its borders has failed to exert economic pressure on Afghanistan.

He said Pakistan closed eight border points with Afghanistan amid tensions in October last year. The Taliban gave traders three months at the end of November last year to settle their contracts in Pakistan and shift to alternative routes.

Afghanistan has increased transfers of goods through routes from Iran and Central Asia, thereby reducing its commercial dependence on Pakistan, Fazl al-Rahman said. Pakistan's trade with Afghanistan dropped by about 60% in the past seven months, according to a State Bank of Pakistan report from early March last year.

Fazl al-Rahman added that fuel prices in Pakistan have risen and that the passage of Pakistani oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz had no impact on those prices.

He criticized the border closures with both Pakistan and India, saying they limit trade options for Afghanistan.