Afghanistan-Pakistan trade crisis Pakistani private sector calls for immediate reopening of ports

The Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI) issued a statement warning that the prolonged closure of border ports between the two countries has put bilateral and transit trade on the verge of complete collapse.

Junaid Makda, the head of the chamber, emphasized in an official letter to the Ministry of Commerce of Pakistan and the Directorate General of Transit Trade that the closure of ports has completely disrupted the supply chain of goods and has left thousands of drivers, workers, and traders facing unemployment and heavy financial losses.

He called on the Pakistani government to take immediate action to prevent irreparable damage.

Meanwhile, official statistics show that bilateral trade fell sharply in October of the current fiscal year.

According to the Nation newspaper, trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan fell from $247 million in October last year to just $114 million in October this year, a 54 percent decline.