ISLAMABAD – Pakistan said yesterday it had suspended all trade with Afghanistan, declaring that no commercial activity can continue until the Afghan Taliban regime ends its support for terrorist groups targeting Pakistan.
Speaking at a weekly news briefing here, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said border crossings and trade routes remain shut due to “the Afghan Taliban regime’s continued support to terrorist entities.” He stressed that reopening the border will only be possible “when there is a complete cessation of this support and improved on-ground conditions.”
Reinforcing Pakistan’s position on Afghanistan, he said that trade, including agricultural imports, remains suspended because terrorism from Afghan soil continues, and that suicide attackers “will never be allowed entry.” He added that Pakistan pursues regional connectivity on its own terms and is committed to broader trade diplomacy.
The spokesperson welcomed Türkiye’s mediation offer between Pakistan and Afghanistan and noted that Iran and Russia have also expressed readiness to facilitate dialogue. Pakistan remains in close contact with all three.
To questions regarding Afghanistan’s Bagram Airbase, Andrabi said Pakistan recognises Afghanistan’s sovereignty and views related issues as strictly bilateral between Kabul and Washington. He reiterated Pakistan’s longstanding concerns regarding terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, adding that public remarks from Afghan-based figures “only validate Pakistan’s position.”
On the Middle East, Andrabi condemned the ongoing violations by Israeli forces and extremist settlers in the occupied West Bank, including repeated incursions into Al-Aqsa Mosque. These actions, he said, violate international law and multiple UN resolutions. Pakistan urged swift international action to protect holy sites and halt settler violence. He reiterated Pakistan’s support for a two-state solution with pre-1967 borders and Al-Quds Al-Sharif as the Palestinian capital.
He expressed grave concern over the human rights situation in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), citing arbitrary detentions, curbs on freedoms, demographic engineering, and cultural suppression. Pakistan urged the UN and global community to ensure accountability and pursue a peaceful resolution consistent with UN Security Council resolutions.
On developments in Bangladesh, Andrabi said Pakistan views these as internal matters. He appreciated the role of the United States in reducing tensions between Pakistan and India and acknowledged Washington’s engagement in Middle East peace efforts. Questions on dual nationality were referred to the Interior Ministry.
About the recent US Congressional research report concerning Pakistan-India conflict scenarios, Andrabi said it remains a research document but noted that it “acknowledges Pakistan’s overwhelming success.”
Addressing UN deliberations on Gaza, he said Pakistan voted in favour of the Security Council resolution calling for an International Stabilization Force. Despite differences in voting patterns, Pakistan’s core principles remain aligned with China and Russia.
On Iran’s nuclear programme, he reaffirmed Pakistan’s principled stance: support for Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear technology, opposition to sanctions, and encouragement of dialogue-based solutions, including extension of UNSC Resolution 2231. Iran’s constructive role in advancing regional peace, including Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, was also acknowledged.
The spokesperson said there were no updates regarding Pakistan’s BRICS membership. He highlighted Pakistan’s ongoing climate diplomacy to strengthen global support for vulnerable countries facing severe climate impacts.
Andrabi highlighted the official visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar to Brussels from November 19-21. The DPM co-chaired the 7th Pakistan-EU Strategic Dialogue with EU High Representative/Vice President Kaja Kallas, the highest-level institutional framework under the Pakistan-EU Strategic Engagement Plan 2019.
He also participated in the 4th EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum and held meetings with senior EU officials, including Council President Antonio Costa, Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, Commissioner for International Partnerships Jozef Sikela, and Members of the European Parliament. At NATO headquarters, he met Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss terrorism, security, and regional developments, the spokesperson said.
Before Brussels, the DPM led Pakistan’s delegation at the 24th Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Council of Heads of Government (SCO-CHG) meeting in Moscow on November 17-18.
The spokesperson said Pakistan and Iran held the 13th round of Bilateral Political Consultations on November 17, reviewing cooperation in trade, energy, transport connectivity, education, and people-to-people exchanges, alongside discussions on Afghanistan and multilateral coordination.
