Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) President Junaid Makda has formally sought the government’s immediate intervention on the worsening trade crisis, resulting in a halt to export operations from the prolonged closure of the borders.
This crisis has left the supply chain broken, besides causing widespread unemployment among transporters, labourers and associated sectors. Hundreds of vehicles carrying commercial shipments from Afghan importers remained stuck at Torkham, Chaman, Ghulam Khan and other border crossing points, creating a severe operational and financial deadlock.
In a letter to the commerce ministry and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Directorate General of Transit Trade, he highlighted that thousands of containers carrying bilateral, transit and Central Asian Republic (CARs) cargo remain stranded across Pakistan, including goods destined for Afghanistan, Uzbekistan and other regional economies.
“This prolonged blockade has triggered significant financial losses for traders, transporters, bonded carriers and clearing agents, many of whom are Pakistani nationals, now forced to absorb daily port demurrage and shipping line detention charges of $150-200 per container,” he said.
He further underlined that Pakistan–Afghanistan bilateral and transit trade together hold a potential of over $5 billion annually, directly supporting Pakistan’s economy and strengthening the country’s regional position. However, due to recurring disruptions and the current border closures, this trade volume has now fallen to below $1bn, signalling serious implications for national revenue and long-term economic stability.
“While PAJCCI fully stands with Pakistan’s national security imperatives and respects that such priorities must always remain paramount, it is equally distressing to witness the severe economic suffering of stakeholders whose livelihoods are directly tied to this trade. The economic strain on traders, transporters, clearing agents and workers has now reached a critical point,” he added.
Makda noted that PAJCCI’s Pakistan and Kabul chapters are already in close communication and are well-positioned to jointly facilitate this process.
The PAJCCI chief urged the authorities to allow the movement of trucks carrying Afghan commercial cargo on priority to prevent further losses, re-open all trade gates with Afghanistan to restore bilateral and transit flows, devise a practical relief mechanism for exporters, transporters and the business community affected by the closures, grant an immediate 100 per cent waiver of demurrage and detention charges in view of the unavoidable and exceptional circumstances under force majeure.
