Traders from Chaman have arrived in the federal capital to press the government to reopen the Pak Afghanistan border crossing, saying the prolonged shutdown has crippled cross border trade and inflicted heavy economic losses. According to a report by Dawn News.
All border crossings with Afghanistan have remained closed since October 11 following ground clashes and retaliatory Pakistani airstrikes along the 2,600 kilometre frontier that killed dozens on both sides, the worst fighting since the Taliban took control of Kabul in 2021. Trade between the two countries has since come to a halt.
Business leaders say there are no immediate signs of the border reopening, with Taliban authorities refusing to allow United Nations humanitarian aid to transit through Pakistan’s land route, despite millions in Afghanistan depending on UN assistance.
A delegation led by President of the Chaman Chamber of Commerce and Industry Abdul Nafi Jan Chakzai has held meetings with senior officials in Islamabad, including Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, Senate Deputy Chairman Saidal Khan Nasir, Coordinator to the Prime Minister on Commerce Rana Ihsaan Afzal, and Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq. Community representatives from the region also joined the delegation.
According to a statement issued by the Ministry of Commerce, traders highlighted the severe socio economic impact of frequent and prolonged border closures, citing financial losses, disruption in exports of perishable goods, rising unemployment and growing hardship for communities that rely heavily on cross border trade.
During his meeting with the delegation, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan said the ministry would continue to advocate improved trade facilitation but clarified that decisions on opening or closing border crossings were taken by the government on the basis of broader national considerations and did not fall under the ministry’s sole mandate. He assured the traders that their concerns would be taken up with relevant authorities and raised at appropriate bilateral forums to explore predictable and transparent border management solutions that balance security needs with lawful trade.
The traders had earlier met Rana Ihsaan Afzal on December 17, according to the ministry. Afzal reiterated that the issue would be escalated to relevant national and bilateral forums and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to addressing the challenges faced by border communities.
Meanwhile, business leaders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa said the border closure for more than two months had sharply reduced trade volumes, employment, revenues and regional connectivity. Traders described the Chaman route as a vital trade corridor worth billions of dollars annually.
They said daily exports during peak seasons such as agriculture and construction previously ranged between $50 million and $60 million, including cement, sugar, kinnows, potatoes, medicines and surgical items. Value added industrial goods and raw materials worth billions of rupees remain stranded at border crossings, with exporters estimating losses exceeding $4 million per day.
