ISLAMABAD: Federal government sources have revealed that the month-long closure of the Torkham border has inflicted losses worth $45 million on Afghanistan, while Pakistan has been suffering annual losses of Rs3.42 trillion due to large-scale smuggling carried out under the cover of Afghan Transit Trade.
According to officials, the suspension of trade with Afghanistan has had almost no impact on the daily life of the average Pakistani. They added that Pakistan’s decision on October 11, 2025, to shut the Afghan border was not a retaliatory measure but part of a broader effort to reform the country’s trade and border management system. All routes used for smuggling, narcotics trafficking, illegal weapons movement, and terrorism have been sealed, they said.
Security sources further stated that 70–80% of Afghanistan’s trade depends on Pakistani roads and ports. While goods transported via Karachi reach Afghanistan within three to four days, shipments sent through Iran will now take six to eight days to arrive.
