Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s Defense Minister, responded to statements by Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s economic deputy, saying that reducing trade relations with Afghanistan benefits Pakistan.
He emphasized that decreased economic exchanges help reduce goods smuggling and control the border between the two countries.
These statements come as relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent months due to security and border issues.
Earlier, Baradar had called for separating trade and economic issues from political and security matters to prevent them from becoming victims of politics.
Current tensions between Kabul and Islamabad have formed over support for armed groups and border clashes.
Pakistan accuses the Taliban group of harboring the Pakistani Taliban movement, while the Taliban group has rejected these accusations. The situation has led to closure of key border crossings affecting bilateral trade significantly.
