Sources say the Taliban burned medicines and cosmetic and hygiene products worth $20 million in Kandahar today.
Sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily on Monday, November 2, that the shipment weighed approximately 1,000 tonnes and included medicines, shampoo, and hygiene products.
According to the sources, the goods had been confiscated at the customs office in the province about a year ago.
The sources said some of the goods had been confiscated before the ban on imports from Pakistan was announced.
Mawlawi Mansourulhaq Zakir, the Taliban’s head of customs in Kandahar, has also confirmed the burning of the goods.
According to him, the items had been illegally imported into Afghanistan from Pakistan and had lost their quality.
Taliban officials say the group’s Supreme Leader has ordered a ban on the import of all goods from Pakistan into Afghanistan.
They added that the burned goods were destroyed for reasons including discretionary punishment, expiration dates, poor quality, and violations of the Taliban’s decision.
According to the Taliban, the expiration dates of some of these goods had not yet passed.
A few days ago, a source also told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that the Taliban intended to ban the buying and selling of Pakistani goods in Afghanistan’s markets.
