A Taliban delegation led by Ahmadullah Zahid, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade, met with Pakistani officials in Islamabad last week.
During this meeting, Taliban representatives demanded the removal of the one percent infrastructure development tax imposed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government on Afghan transit goods.
The Taliban group argues that this tax increases transit costs for Afghan merchants.
According to Pakistan’s The Nation newspaper, Pakistani officials stated that this issue has been raised by Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce with the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial government.
They also mentioned that the tax rate was previously 2 percent and has been reduced to 1 percent, while the tax remains at 2 percent for Pakistani imports and exports, as well as for Central Asian countries’ transit goods.
Pakistani officials emphasized that although this matter falls under the provincial government’s authority, the Federal Ministry of Commerce will pursue the issue for decision-making at the national level. Previously, the Taliban group’s consul general in Peshawar, Pakistan, had also asked the local government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province to abolish the transit trade tax.
