Pakistani officials said the closure of key trade crossings with Afghanistan - including Torkham, Kharlachi, Ghulam Khan, and Chaman - has caused millions of dollars in financial losses to traders. All major crossings were shut following recent border clashes between Pakistani forces and the Taliban.

According to Pakistan's Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), trade through the Ghulam Khan crossing alone accounted for an annual average of $109 million in imports and $240 million in exports between the two countries.

From the Kharlachi route, annual trade averaged about $38 million in imports from Afghanistan and $32 million in exports from Pakistan, while Chaman handled roughly $289 million in imports and $265 million in exports each year.

The Torkham crossing - the busiest border point between the two countries - facilitated more than $328 million in imports and $766 million in exports annually, according to FBR data.

In total, the four main crossings represent over $766 million in imports from Afghanistan and more than $1.05 billion in exports from Pakistan each year, underscoring the deep economic interdependence between the two nations.

Recent border clashes have disrupted this trade lifeline, halting the movement of goods and stranding hundreds of cargo trucks on both sides of the frontier.

Earlier, Afghanistan traders in Torkham and Spin Boldak told local media that Pakistani authorities had instructed Karachi port officials to suspend Afghanistan-bound cargo until further notice.

Business associations on both sides have urged Islamabad and Kabul to separate political tensions from trade, warning that prolonged border closures could devastate local economies and fuel further instability in the region.

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