Afghanistan Bans Import of Medicines From Pakistan

The Afghan Ministry of Finance stated that based on a decision and directive from the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, the import of all types of medicines from Pakistan into Afghanistan has been banned from Monday, February 9.

According to the ministry, legal action will be taken against those who smuggle medicines into the country, and seized medicines will be destroyed based on court orders.

At the same time, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment emphasizes that this decision could have positive consequences, ranging from boosting domestic production to replacing low-quality medicines in the market and creating alternative import routes.

Mohammad Wali Amini, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said in this regard: “When this deadline is completed, there will be alternative routes or suitable substitutes. One of them is that we move largely toward domestic production, toward industry and local manufacturing. Many of the items we used to import can be produced inside the country, and this is already happening in practice.”

Residents of the capital have also expressed concern over the low quality of some Pakistani medicines and have welcomed the decision of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to halt their import.

Ahmad, a Kabul resident, said: “Some of the medicines that used to come from Pakistan in the past were of poor quality and did not have any effect on our illness.”

Earlier, the Ministry of Public Health had also assured that the country’s pharmaceutical market could meet demand. The process began on November 12, 2025, when Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, instructed the Ministry of Finance to halt the import of medicines from Pakistan within three months and to refrain from collecting customs duties on them as well.