Ten days on, no signs of Pakistan-Afghanistan trade resumption
Around 500 transit trade cargo are also waiting to cross the border at Torkham and Chaman
Business Desk
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A border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan is deserted after trade was suspended
Pakistan’s land trade with Afghanistan has yet to be resumed after it was suspended since October 12, when both sides faced off in violent clashes on the border.
A statement by Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Thursday said customs clearance and both imported and exported goods at the border crossings of Torkham, Ghulam Khan, Kharlachi, and Angoor Adda crossings in the country’s north-west have been suspended for over 10 days.
It said that due to security concerns, the staff have reported to headquarters, while some inspectors are still present at the border stations to start the customs clearance process as soon as the trade resumes.
The clearance of import consignments that had arrived before the trade was halted was ongoing, FBR said.
Other than bilateral trade, Pakistan and Afghanistan do transit trade where goods destined for Afghanistan land at sea ports in Pakistan and then transported to the neighboring country.
Earlier this month, Pakistan suspended the Afghan transit trade from Karachi’s ports, citing logistical constraints and terminal congestion.
Meanwhile, the bilateral trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan declined by 6% in the first quarter of the 2025-26 fiscal year.
According to trade data, the total bilateral trade between July and September stood at $475 million, down from $502 million during the same period last year.
Stuck cargo
The FBR said 363 import vehicles have been cleared since October 12 at the Customs stations of Torkham, Ghulam Khan, Kharlachi and Angoor Adda.
At Torkham, the busiest of the four border crossings, around 255 export vehicles and 24 import vehicles were stranded, while 200 vehicles were stranded along the Jamrud-Landi Kotal road.
At the Chaman border station in the country’s south-west, customs clearance has been suspended since October 15, leaving five import and 25 export vehicles stranded.
Around 500 vehicles carrying transit trade cargo are also waiting to cross the border at Torkham and Chaman, FBR added.
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