Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Following the May 10 ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Afghan trucks carrying perishable goods crossed into India through the Attari-Wagah border on Friday, ending a 22-day-long stalemate that had stranded over 150 vehicles.
The trucks, loaded with dry fruits, were among dozens stuck between Lahore and Wagah since April 24, when Pakistan suspended all trade routes with India, including third-country transit, in retaliation to Indian restrictions imposed after the deadly April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26, mostly tourists.
The reopening of the Attari Integrated Check Post (ICP), the only active land trade route between the two countries, comes as a major relief to traders and porters alike.
“Eight trucks have come to the Indian side. Others are expected soon. We thank the Governments of India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan,” said BK Bajaj, president of the Indo-Foreign Chamber of Commerce.
Pakistan’s decision to permit the stranded Afghan trucks followed an urgent request from the Afghan embassy in Islamabad. With commodities deteriorating and Indian importers having paid in advance, pressure had mounted for a resolution.
“Had the route remained shut, we would have suffered heavy losses,” said Mukesh Sidhwani, a dry fruit trader from Amritsar.
Porters at Attari ICP also expressed relief. “Our livelihood depends on cross-border trade. The closure had left us staring at an uncertain future,” said Gursahib Singh, a porter at the checkpost.
The Attari-Wagah route remains one of the shortest and most economical for Indo-Afghan trade. Despite Pakistan’s full trade suspension with India after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, imports of Afghan goods into India had continued uninterrupted—until last month’s closure.
