In a statement the foreign ministry of Taliban Government stated that that the closure of the only operational land border crossing has effected trade between India and Afghanistan via Pakistan. “ This is one of the Afghanistan’s shortest and cheapest transit routes for trade with India and Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment has said that the annual trade via this route is $ 500 million.”From last year April to January this year, Indian exports to Afghanistan were $264.15 million, while imports stood at $591.49 million. Out of this, India’s inbound shipments of dry fruits stood at $358 million. During this period, India’s fruits and nuts import from Pakistan was $0.08 million. The main goods imported from Afghanistan through Attari include dried figs, asafoetida, saffron, dried apricots, pistachios and raisins.Another importer said that the closure of the land route will definitely impact imports of dry fruits from both Pakistan and Afghanistan. “ We will get the nuts but it would come from countries like UAE, Iran, and Iraq as these would act as an alternate route for Afghan dry fruits.’’ Following the terror attack in Pahalgam, India immediately closed the Attari border. In retaliation, Pakistan also announced that all trade with India, including to and from any third country through Pakistan, is suspended forthwith.At present, India is trading with Afghanistan only via the Attari-Wagah border and Pakistan’s suspension of trade will impact domestic exports and imports to Kabul. After the Pulwama terror attack in 2019, in which 44 CRPF personnel were killed, the Indian government had restricted import from Pakistan by hiking the custom duty to 200 per cent, from a mere 5 per cent. Since then, import of goods from Pakistan has almost stopped. In August 2019, when New Delhi abrogated Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan had ceased all trade relations with India.
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