Border closures paralyse transit trade

The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has warned that the prolonged closure of key border crossings at Ghulam Khan, Spin Boldak, Kharrachi, and Torkham has caused massive financial losses for traders on both sides of the border.

Over 10,000 Pakistani and Afghan traders, along with transit trade shipments, are reportedly stranded at the Karachi port, resulting in billions of rupees in damages.

In a statement, SCCI President Junaid Altaf said the chamber had highlighted that 11,000 to 12,000 Afghan transit trade and Central Asian Republic containers are stuck at Karachi port due to border closures. He added that thousands of export and import trucks belonging to traders are also parked at these borders, with perishable goods deteriorating, causing escalating losses.

"The backlog of containers has forced traders to pay heavy demurrage and detention charges daily, while the closure of borders has disrupted the transit trade supply chain, paralyzing port, transport, and logistics services," Altaf said. He warned that this situation is not only severely affecting national exports but also contributing to rising unemployment and placing traders reliant on cross-border trade under immense financial strain.