Afghanistan is not experiencing shortages of medicines despite the suspension of pharmaceutical imports from Pakistan, the Taliban’s Minister of Public Health, Noor Jalal Jalali, said on Friday.
He added that several countries had already sought permission to export medical supplies to Afghanistan.
Speaking at the inauguration of a 200-bed hospital in Kunar province, Jalali warned against hoarding and price-gouging, saying stockpiling or inflating the prices of medicines was “a major sin” and must not occur.
The Taliban recently banned the import of Pakistani medicines and instructed traders to source supplies from alternative countries. On Thursday, Afghan and Indian companies signed a US$100 million pharmaceutical supply contract in the presence of Taliban officials.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs also announced the delivery of 73 tonnes of life-saving medicines, vaccines and other essential medical items to Kabul. A spokesperson said the shipment was intended to address Afghanistan’s urgent health needs.
The Taliban has given pharmaceutical traders three months to settle accounts with Pakistani firms, after which Pakistani-made medicines will no longer be cleared through Afghan customs.
The Taliban says it plans to replace Pakistani supplies with medicines sourced from India, Iran and other countries.
