Angoor Adda border reopens after 2.5 years

Pakistan-Afghanistan trade resumes through new NLC facility

MIRANSHAH:

The Angoor Adda border crossing in Lower South Waziristan was reopened on Tuesday after two and a half years, with formal trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan resuming through a modern facility built by the National Logistics Cell (NLC).

The reopening was marked by an inauguration ceremony attended by MNA Zubair Khan Wazir and Deputy Commander Khumrang Brigade as special guests.

A large number of people, including religious scholars, tribal elders, local dignitaries and schoolchildren, participated in the event.

The atmosphere was festive, with residents celebrating the development as a "milestone" for the region's economic revival.

The prolonged closure had severely impacted the local economy. Over the past two and a half years, Wana Bazaar, hotels and trading centres had nearly shut down, while the working class faced deep unemployment and poverty.

With the reopening, shopkeepers and traders are now preparing to resume business with renewed hope.

Gul Rehman, a shopkeeper at Wana Bazaar, told The Express Tribune: "When the border closed, our businesses completely collapsed. There were days when not a single customer came to the shop. Now we hope trade will improve, especially with pine nuts, fruits, and dry fruits coming easily. We will be able to give our children a better future."