Pakistan Ties Trade with Afghanistan to Counterterrorism Action

DID Press: Pakistan conditioned any expansion of economic relations with Afghanistan on concrete security measures, stressing that counterterrorism is a prerequisite for deeper trade ties.

Pakistan’s Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan said in a post on X that Islamabad would link trade expansion and broader engagement with Afghanistan to effective action on security concerns, including preventing armed groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks against Pakistan.

He added that Pakistan would make no compromises on national security and that as long as militants can operate from inside Afghanistan against Pakistani territory, economic cooperation will remain secondary.

“We welcome dialogue and trade facilitation, but security is our top priority. The terrorism issue must be addressed before any economic engagement,” Khan said.

The remarks come amid ongoing border tensions and periodic closures of trade routes between the two countries, which have long disagreed over the presence and activities of armed groups, including Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan.