The Torkham Pakistan-Afghanistan border has remained closed for 327 days, causing an estimated loss of around $2.5 billion in trade with Afghanistan.

 Millions of people in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been affected, while thousands of workers associated with small industries have been forced to struggle for basic livelihood.

According to traders, the closure of all border crossings with Afghanistan has caused losses of $1.644 billion in exports and $817 million in imports. The closure has also severely affected transport businesses, hotels and markets, forcing many businesses to shut down and leaving thousands of people without jobs.

Traders said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has also suffered a loss of Rs7.27 billion in cess tax revenue due to the border closure, while transit trade has been badly affected. They said they had raised their concerns at every forum, but no action had been taken so far. 

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They demanded that the border issue should not be politicised and that trade should be kept separate from politics.

Trader representatives said a meeting had been held in Islamabad with the interior minister on the border closure, attended by officials from the Balochistan Chamber of Commerce and the Sarhad Chamber. 

The interior minister had assured them that detailed discussions would be held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the meeting has yet to take place.

Khyber Chamber of Commerce President Haji Yousaf Afridi also demanded an audit of the chamber’s accounts for the past five years. He called for the chamber’s central office to be made functional in Khyber district and for the alleged interference of certain non-local individuals to be ended.

These remarks were made during a press conference by Khyber Chamber of Commerce President Haji Yousaf Afridi, Vice President Wajid Ali Shinwari, Hazrat Ali Bahlol, Haji Abid and others.