KHYBER: Trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has regained momentum via the Torkham border after people in Sukkur district of Sindh ended their anti-canals protest and opened roads a few days ago.

Customs officials and traders at the border here had earlier said the protest had completely halted the supply from Karachi of the trade goods imported for Afghanistan via the Karachi seaport under the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA).

The road closure in Sukkur had also impacted supply of imported raw material to industrial units in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, besides reducing the export of some Pakistani products over the last two weeks.

Data shared daily between the customs officials and local traders about exports-imports via Torkham border showed a marked decline of the ATTA-related goods since the start of the protest in different parts of Sindh and subsequent closure of the main highway, linking Karachi with rest of the country.

Customs officials say anti-canal protests in Sindh had halted goods supply from Karachi

Figures received from official sources at Torkham said that as many as 324 vehicles loaded with unspecified foreign goods imported for Afghanistan via the Karachi seaport crossed over to Afghanistan via the Torkham border between April 14 and April 22, prior to the start of the protests.

The number of such vehicles suddenly declined to a mere 65 in the subsequent nine days of the protest, while export of some Pakistani items and food items from certain multinational companies also considerably declined in comparison to the period before the Sindh protest.

“Things are now coming back on track as hundreds of ATTA goods vehicles have left Karachi during the last three days, which are expected to reach Torkham by the middle of the coming week,” officials said.

They said the regular exports from Pakistan had also markedly increased during the last two months when Torkham border was reopened after its closure for nearly a month in February and March due to security reasons.

Mujeebullah Shinwari, president of Torkham Customs Clearing Agents’ Association, told Dawn that on an average over 350 vehicles loaded with export items were now daily crossing to Afghanistan after undergoing necessary security and customs clearance.

“We have only recently concluded the export of potatoes to Afghanistan as its season ended, while cement and other construction material along with miscellaneous items in sizable quantities are exported on a regular basis,” he said.

Mr Shinwari said that imports from Afghanistan, which largely included coal and soapstone, had also increased, while dry fruits too were gradually coming to Pakistan with intervals along with leather, beans and taro root, locally known as Kachaloo.

Jamshed Khan, another local trader, said that the deportation of illegal Afghans since the start of April had temporarily slowed down the bilateral trade due to the sudden rush of returning Afghans.

He said that the authorities in both the countries had also agreed in the third week of March to clear the backlog of the empty vehicles stranded on the Afghan side due to the border closure from February 21 to March 19.

He said the stranded empty vehicles too had created congestion on the Afghan side of the border, badly affecting the clearance of import goods from Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2025