The Taliban and Pakistan have agreed to reopen the Angoor Adda border crossing, a key trade and transit point between the two countries that has been closed for nearly two years, officials said following recent talks in Islamabad.
During the meetings, Pakistan said the reopening depends on the operationalization of a new border terminal managed by the state-owned National Logistics Company. Islamabad informed the Taliban delegation that infrastructure work was still underway and aimed to have the crossing functional by August 13, or by August 31 at the latest.
The Taliban delegation also raised the issue of Afghanistan’s exports to India via Pakistan, citing the 2010 Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), which had allowed shipments through the Wagah border. Pakistani officials said those exports were halted in May due to heightened tensions with India and a ban on third-country trade through Pakistani territory.
Both sides agreed to designate liaison officers within 15 days to plan joint trade exhibitions in each country. They also finalized tax exemptions of up to 35% for eight agricultural products under an “early harvest program,” with plans to expand the list to 150 items.
Under the arrangement, Pakistan will cut duties on Afghan tomatoes, grapes, apples and pomegranates by 5–26%, while Afghanistan will reduce tariffs on Pakistani potatoes, oranges, mangoes and bananas by 20–35%. The duty on Afghan tomatoes entering Pakistan, for example, will fall from 27% to 22%.
If the program proves successful, the two sides said they would work toward a comprehensive preferential trade agreement within a year.
Bilateral trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan has faced prolonged disruption amid border closures and political tensions, with Afghanistan’s exports to India via Pakistan still suspended due to Islamabad’s standoff with New Delhi.