Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has issued a decree banning Pakistani trucks from entering the country via the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings, reported Tolo News.
Afghanistan’s transport ministry said on Sunday the trucks will only be allowed up to the border crossing where the drivers will have to offload their goods and transfer them to Afghan trucks.
Pakistani trucks have until now crossed into Afghanistan at Torkham and Spin Boldak borders and many transport their goods on through the borders into other Central Asian countries.
“The Afghanistan and Pakistan Trade Agreement (APTA) has expired. Before this Pakistan did now allow Afghan trucks to enter its territory. So we do the same, and after this, Pakistani trucks will be unloaded at borders and Afghan trucks will carry the goods to Hairatan and Shir Khan ports,” said transport ministry spokesman Hekmatullah Qawanch.
Pakistan has blamed the Tehreek-e-Taliban militants it says are based on Afghan soil for a spate of attacks at home over the past year, urging Kabul to eradicate “sanctuaries” for militants.
Afghanistan, in turn, accuses Islamabad of sheltering the leadership of the Afghan Taliban militants who are battling the Western-backed government in Kabul.
Both countries deny aiding militants, but relations between the two have soured in recent years.