KABUL (SW) – Criticizing the closure of the Karachi-Peshawar Railway Line, officials at the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) say that the increased cost of transporting commercial goods from Karachi port to Peshawar due to skyrocketing fuel prices has inflicted losses on traders of both countries.
Ziaulhaq Sarhadi, the coordinator of the chamber, tells Salam Watandar that problems at Karachi port have led nearly 90% of Afghan traders to divert their commercial goods through Iranian commercial ports.
He adds, “In the past, Pakistan and Afghanistan containers were emptied in Peshawar. From there, they were transported via trucks to Torkham, Jalalabad, and Kabul, and via Chaman crossing to Kandahar. The railway line was a successful route. After the new treaty, it is now land transport; traders now have to transfer their goods from Karachi by road, which takes more time and incurs increasing rental charges, reaching up to one million rupees now.”
Sarhadi urges the Pakistani government to reopen the Karachi-Peshawar railway line to reduce transportation costs for traders and facilitate trade.
On the other hand, officials at the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry state that previously, the cost of transporting one container of commercial goods by road from Karachi port to Peshawar was 600,000 rupees, but now it has risen to 1.3 million rupees and continues to increase daily.
Naqibullah Safi, the Head of this chamber, says, “In the past, our goods came from Karachi port to Afghanistan via the railway line. However, in 2010, it was decided that goods must be transported by land. Restrictions imposed by Pakistan in 2023 led to increased fuel prices in Pakistan, causing congestion and creating challenges and problems for Afghan traders.”
He added that transporting commercial goods from Afghanistan by land has been time-consuming and costly for Afghan traders.
Some Afghan traders, who transport their commercial goods from Karachi port, complain about the high cost of transportation and demand the reopening of the Karachi-Peshawar railway line.
Hojatullah, a trader, says, “In the past, the transportation cost of each container was 200,000 rupees, but now it is 800,000 rupees. They say the fuel in Pakistan has become expensive. From Peshawar to Afghanistan, we have to pay up to 120,000 rupees for rent. This route should be reopened for traders.”
Mohammad, another trader, also says, “In the past, a container from Karachi to Jalalabad or Kabul used to cost 650,000 or 800,000 rupees. Now it has increased to 1.3 million. Containers do not reach the port on time, resulting in heavy fines. If the railway line is extended again by Pakistan, it is beneficial for everyone.”
Despite their efforts, officials of the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry add that they raised the issue of reopening the Karachi-Peshawar railway line in talks with Pakistani authorities on Monday of last week, but their request has not yielded results yet.
