Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif ,some days before, stated that the country would save more than two billion dollars by importing coal from Taliban led Afghanistan.

According to a news statement from the Prime Minister’s office, Pakistan, importing high-quality coal from Afghanistan will not only produce cheap electricity but also enable the nation to conserve vital foreign currency.

Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif also gave orders to the relevant authorities, according to the statement, to create an efficient system in this regard.

However, the Afghan Taliban government does not have a coal export agreement with Pakistan, according to Mufti Ismatullah Burhan, a spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Petroleum, who talked to The Independent Urdu.

He stated, “At the government level or with any other party, we have not entered into such an agreement with Pakistan or any Pakistani entity.”

“We do not expect any gain from Pakistan because we are aware of the taste of the dollar and the euro and the poor condition of the Pakistani currency,” Says Ismatullah

He added, “Although we don’t need Pakistan or its coal, we do care about our regional traders and help them out when we can. Although we have imposed a tax on it to export coal overseas, local dealers are free to send coal to any country they choose.”

Ismatullah further stated, “By now, Pakistan must have anticipated our response and that of the Afghan people, therefore in retaliation, we have raised the levy on coal from 200 dollars per tonne.”

He said that although the price of coal had increased by 30% for local dealers roughly four years prior, the price had remained constant for local traders, and the tariff would only apply to coal exported out of the nation.

Ismatullah added, “Pakistan’s economic shirt is so shredded that it cannot be utilised for a few million dollars in coal from Afghanistan and that is why for us Pakistan or their need is not crucial, but we assist local traders.”

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