Locals lose jobs along Pak-Afghan border

Thousands of traders, labourers and transport workers across Pakistan's northwestern border belt have been left without livelihoods as tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan enter their fifth week.

Following the Taliban's overnight attacks on Pakistani security posts on October 11-12, and Pakistan's retaliatory actions, Islamabad has shut all major crossings, including Torkham, Kharlachi, Ghulam Khan, Angoor Adda and Chaman, halting all movement of people and goods.

Long queues of trucks continue to snake along the Pak-Afghan Highway at Jamrud and Landi Kotal, where drivers say they have been stranded for days with perishable goods at risk of spoilage. With the Torkham crossing now closed for 35 days, the economic fallout in local markets has become severe.

Landi Kotal Bazaar President Yadullah Shinwari told The Express Tribune that business has collapsed. "Before the closure, each shopkeeper earned over Rs30,000 per day. Now sales have dropped to barely Rs1,000 or Rs2,000," he said. "Trading activities have almost ended. Our people depend on the border for their income, and today the markets are empty. Poor labourers who go to Torkham to earn a day's wage can no longer feed their families."

He urged both governments to resolve the dispute through dialogue and reopen the border to prevent further human suffering.

The Torkham Labour Union expressed similar alarm, warning that prolonged unemployment is pushing local youth toward crime and illegal activities. "This is becoming a national tragedy," said Union President Zakir Shinwari. "More than 1,500 registered labourers, representing the same number of families, have lost their only source of income. If we include child labourers and daily-wage workers, the affected workforce reaches nearly 3,000."

Hotel workers, truck drivers and transport helpers have also been laid off in large numbers, he added. "We urge both the Pakistani and Afghan governments to reopen the border immediately."

Customs Clearance Agents Association President Mujeeb Shinwari said that 150 registered clearance offices, employing more than 800 workers, have come to a complete standstill. "Pakistan is losing between $1.5 to 2 million per day in exports and over $550 million in import value," he said. "Before the closure, 700 to 750 trucks crossed daily. Now thousands of loaded vehicles are stuck on both sides, causing massive commercial losses."

The border shutdown has also triggered a sharp rise in the prices of Afghan tomatoes, onions, apples, grapes and pomegranates inside Pakistan, where these imports were a key part of daily food supply.

Border authorities confirm that Torkham alone facilitated nearly 10,000 people and more than 500 vehicles daily. The sudden suspension has left cargo owners desperate for a political breakthrough as their goods deteriorate in stranded containers.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's newly elected Chief Minister, Sohail Afridi, has called for stronger cooperation with the federal government to improve relations with Afghanistan and curb terrorism in tribal districts.

Trade leaders warn that if the crossings remain closed, Pakistan's already fragile industrial sector, burdened by insecurity and economic slowdown, may face further shutdowns, leading to mass unemployment across K-P.

They caution that continued border tensions will inflict economic damage on both nations, urging both Islamabad and Kabul to prioritize negotiations and restore movement across the frontier before the crisis deepens further.