IT is a tragedy of grim proportions that the economic livelihood of the Afghan people is being held hostage by the ideological intransigence of their own rulers. The unfolding crisis on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is not merely a dispute over tariffs or transit documentation; it is the inevitable consequence of the Taliban regime’s refusal to align statecraft with regional security realities.

By prioritizing the protection of militant proxies over the welfare of its merchant class, Kabul has plunged its economy into a tailspin, a situation fueled by what can only be described as the regime’s persistent hat dharmi (obstinacy).

The economic logic, corroborated by Afghan sources, is indisputable. Data from Afghan media outlet Amu TV dismantles the narrative that Kabul can easily bypass Pakistan. Port of Karachi remains the singular, viable lifeline for the landlocked........

© Daily Pakistan