Indo-Pak trade suspension taking toll on Afghanistan

KABUL, the chamber of commerce said on Friday.

In reaction to the Modi government’s decision on ending the special status of India-administered Kashmir, Islamabad susped all trade and cultural exchanges with New Delhi.

Khan Jan Alokozay, deputy head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries, told Pajhwok Afghan News the landlocked country was also hit by the deteriorating Indo-Pak relations.

The Wagah border in Pakistan’s Lahore city had also been shut for Afghan traders as a result of the mounting Islamabad-Delhi tensions, Alokozay said.

He called the Wagah border crossing an import route for Afghanistan’s exports to India. On a daily basis, he said, the Afghans exported 10 containers of fresh fruits and vegetable to India through Wagah. 

With exports to India on hold, Alokozay said the issue had been taken with the Ministry of Commerce. However, the Afghan government could do nothing as long as Indo-Pak relations do not return to normal.

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