Pakistan-Afghanistan trade plunges 74% as crossing...

Summary

• As a result, Pakistan-Afghanistan trade has no clear path back.
• What Pakistan-Afghanistan trade needs nowBusiness leaders in the province want a clear and lasting way forward.
• For now, Pakistan-Afghanistan trade stays far below its old level, and no crossing has reopened for goods.

AI Generated Summary

Pakistan-Afghanistan trade fell 74 percent in 2025-26, official data show, as closed crossings and political tension choked commerce.

The Trade Development Authority of Pakistan reports that two-way trade slid to $358 million. In the year before, it reached $1.3 billion.

Transporters, pharmaceutical makers and farm traders in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa carry much of the damage.

Why Pakistan-Afghanistan trade collapsed

Deadly clashes between the two countries led to the closure of Torkham on Oct 12, 2025. That crossing is among the busiest on the frontier.

Other gates remain shut to all trade as well. They include Kharlachi, Ghulam Khan and Angoor Adda in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, plus Chaman in Balochistan.

A report from Peshawar described the costly Torkham terminal, built with several billion rupees, as deserted.

Meanwhile, Islamabad insists on action against militants who operate from Afghan soil before any engagement with Kabul. The Peshawar report blamed the Taliban government’s stubbornness for leaving the relationship frozen. As a result, Pakistan-Afghanistan trade has no clear path back.