They | Pakistan

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said Pakistan was “forced” to halt all trade with Afghanistan due to Kabul’s inaction against terrorists operating from its soil. The Pak-Afghan border has been closed for trade since mid-October 2025, when border clashes erupted. Successive rounds of talks on counter-terrorism mechanisms failed to produce a workable solution despite mediation by Turkiye and Qatar. “There is a complete blockade of Pak-Afghan trade. It should not have been there, but they forced us,” the premier said while addressing a national workshop event in Islamabad. “This time, it must be decided whether Afghanistan wants to live peacefully or not […] They are our brothers and sisters. If the interim Afghan government does not have an interest in this (peace with Pakistan), they should at least have mercy on its people and not oppress them.” “Rest assured, we will keep trying our best,” the prime minister added. While trade data shows that the border closure has hit Afghanistan far harder than Pa...