Business
Trade bodies warn almost 11,000 Afghan transit containers stuck at Karachi port
SCCI officials urged authorities to separate trade from political tensions and immediately launch dialogue to restore commercial traffic between the two countries.
Trade bodies report that nearly 11,000 Afghan transit trade containers are stranded at Karachi port, while thousands more— including shipments of perishable goods—remain stuck at the Ghulam Khan, Spin Boldak, Kharlachi, and Torkham crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Traders involved in Pakistan–Afghanistan bilateral and transit commerce say they have suffered billions of Pakistani rupees in losses as the prolonged border shutdown continues to stall the movement of goods. Perishable food items have already begun to spoil, compounding financial losses.
They also report a sharp drop in bilateral trade volumes. Exporters who were already issued Form-E certificates have been unable to dispatch consignments, with the closure now nearing two months.
Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) President Junaid Altaf said trade—already limited—has deteriorated further due to the closure of crossings. He estimated losses of roughly $45 million since the Torkham closure began, adding that the halt is damaging for both economies and directly affecting families whose livelihoods depend on trade.
SCCI officials urged authorities to separate trade from political tensions and immediately launch dialogue to restore commercial traffic between the two countries.
In recent weeks, repeated closures of the Pakistan–Afghanistan crossing have also brought pharmaceutical exports to a halt, putting nearly $200 million worth of medicines at risk. Hundreds of trucks carrying antibiotics, insulin, vaccines, and cardiovascular drugs remain stuck at Torkham and Chaman, with temperature-sensitive supplies facing potential spoilage.
The Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association (PPMA) warned that the disruption extends far beyond Afghanistan’s medicine supply. Afghanistan is Pakistan’s main overland route to Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kazakhstan, and ongoing shutdowns are undermining key regional connectivity projects, including the Pakistan–Uzbekistan–Afghanistan railway.
Stakeholders are calling for urgent steps to reopen the crossings, warning that prolonged closures threaten not only pharmaceutical exports but Pakistan’s broader economic engagement across the region.