The month-long closure of the Torkham border crossing has caused losses exceeding US$45 million in exports and Rs16.5 billion (US$59 million) in imports, disrupting Pakistan's trade with Afghanistan. The closure has affected perishable goods, including potatoes, bananas, and kinnow exports, and has damaged the confidence of small traders dependent on daily cross-border trade.
Sources from the trading sector told Dawn that Pakistan has already lost over 65% of the Afghan market to Iran, Central Asian countries, Türkiye, and India, citing trade restrictions linked to security policies since the Taliban's rise to power in 2021. Large exporters from both countries have withdrawn from cross-border trade, while smaller operators struggle to remain active.
The disruption has affected manufacturing and processing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and reduced output from Punjab and Sindh, which supplied daily consumer goods to Afghanistan. Afghanistan's current imports include cement, garments, footwear, vegetables, fresh fruit, fish, poultry, animal feed, and confectionery.
Exporters said that Iranian, Turkish, and Central Asian products now dominate Afghan markets in Kabul and Jalalabad. "Afghan traders were more interested and comfortable in doing trade with Iran instead of Pakistan as Iran was offering them more relaxations in the acquisition of visas and customs duties," said exporter and clearing agent Qari Nazeem Gul.
Mujeebullah Shinwari, head of the Torkham Customs Clearing Agents Association, urged the government to "focus on alienating bilateral trade from security and political issues with Afghanistan." He reported that annual trade volumes have dropped from US$2.5 billion between 2012 and 2016 to about US$800–900 million.
"Gone are the times when 1,000–1,200 shipping containers loaded with multiple export items would cross over to Afghanistan daily, as we now have 250–300 containers left in the export field daily," Shinwari said.
He added that the suspension of trade had reduced tax revenue and harmed small businesses in border markets. Many transporters whose vehicles were stranded after the closure on October 12 are now considering other lines of work to offset financial losses.
Shinwari suggested forming a jirga of tribal elders, politicians, and traders from both countries to discuss the reopening of all trade routes. Meanwhile, youth leader Israr Shinwari called for the immediate reopening of the Torkham border, warning that protest demonstrations would follow if demands were not addressed.
Source: Dawn
