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KABUL — Afghanistan is racing to secure new trade corridors after its main crossings with Pakistan remained sealed for over two weeks, choking the country’s exports and straining relations already inflamed by border clashes and failed peace talks.
The closures at Torkham, Spin Boldak, and Ghulam Khan have paralysed the flow of goods and stranded hundreds of trucks on both sides, with traders reporting millions of dollars in direct and indirect losses. The standoff, triggered by renewed military tensions and Islamabad’s airstrikes on Afghan soil earlier this month, has now spilled into the economic sphere — tightening the grip of crisis between the two uneasy neighbours.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, said Kabul is accelerating efforts to establish alternative routes through Iran, Central Asia, and potentially Turkey to bypass Pakistani ports. “The routes are closed, exports are blocked, and transit through Karachi has stopped,” Azizi said. “We are working to ensure Afghan products find access to regional markets — we can no longer depend on a single corridor.”
The Afghanistan–Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce confirmed that the closures have effectively frozen bilateral trade, urging both sides to “separate politics from business.” But political realities have only hardened. Islamabad insists crossings will stay shut until “security conditions are reviewed,” while warning of “open war” if talks with the Taliban fail — remarks that have further escalated tensions.
Afghan traders say much of their perishable goods have already spoiled, adding that frequent disruptions have made Pakistan an unreliable trade partner. “Exports through these crossings are always interrupted,” said exporter Omid Haidari. “We need incentives to use ports like Nimroz and Islam Qala and build routes toward India, Turkey, and beyond.”
The deepening trade impasse underscores how diplomatic breakdowns and border hostilities are now bleeding into Afghanistan’s economy. What began as military confrontation has turned into an economic blockade, pushing Kabul to diversify and redraw its trade map — a move that could reshape South Asia’s commercial landscape if the rift with Pakistan continues.
