KABUL (SW) – The transit process and transportation through the border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan have returned to normal, officials confirmed.
“Torkham, Dand Aw Patan, Ghulam Khan, and Angur Ada crossings were reopened for vehicles today, and the transit problem has also been resolved. Trade with Pakistan is now continuing as before,” Akhundzada Abdul Salam Javad, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, told Salam Watandar.
On Saturday, January 13, the Pakistan border authorities closed the Torkham crossing for the vehicles, citing the absence of passports and visas for Afghan truck drivers. In response, Afghan border authorities took a similar stance against Pakistani trucks, leading to a deadlock.
Subsequently, all border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan were closed, and this issue persisted for at least 11 days. Finally, on Tuesday morning, January 23, the border crossings were reopened.
Officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, have not provided specific details regarding Afghanistan’s agreement with Pakistan to reopen border crossings for transit. However, officials from the Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Investment told Salam Watandar that these crossings have been reopened for a specified period, contingent upon Afghan truck drivers having passports and resolving visa issues.
Zalmai Azimi, a member of the board of directors of the Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Investment, states, “A period of two months and seven days has been granted for drivers and their two companions to address the visa and passport issue. Currently, the path has been cleared to resolve this immediate problem. Now, We do not encounter issues with import and export.”
Economic experts recommend that the de-facto government must place more emphasis on finding alternative routes through which to export Afghan goods to Pakistan.
Laal Zazi, an expert in economic matters, suggests, “The issue on the border with Pakistan affects Pakistani businessmen as well, but Afghans are mostly impacted. Therefore, alternative routes such as Chabahar from Iran could serve as an alternative to the Pakistani route.”
It should be noted that in 2023, due to issues on the borders between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the trend of Afghanistan’s exports to Pakistan has decreased compared to 2022.
