The closure of the Torkham crossing for the past twelve days has created serious challenges for travelers and traders, while Afghan and Pakistani officials continue their efforts to find a solution.
Torkham, one of the most important crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan, handles the largest volume of trade and movement between the two countries. This situation has inflicted millions of dollars in losses on traders.
Khanjan Alokozay, the head of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, stated: “Around 800 trucks pass through both sides daily; today marks the twelfth day, meaning more than six thousand trucks have been halted. We hold conferences and video calls through the joint chamber, and we are in discussions with them. The Ministry of Industry and Commerce and Nangarhar officials are also making efforts, but so far, these efforts have yielded no results.”
Local officials in Nangarhar and the Afghan Chamber of Commerce have held multiple meetings with Pakistani authorities to reopen the crossing, but no progress has been made, and border clashes continue.
Zalmay Khalilzad, the former US Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, stated on X that the tensions between Afghan and Pakistani forces at Torkham should be resolved through diplomatic means.
Khalilzad wrote: “People are dying, and others are becoming refugees. Traders on both sides are losing millions of dollars. Each is accusing the other of sheltering extremist groups inimical to them. Diplomacy is a better option.”
Some political analysts believe that keeping border crossings closed is not a suitable solution and that Pakistan should send a delegation to Afghanistan for high-level negotiations.
“I urge the government to engage with Pakistan based on our national interests and the legitimate demands of our people—not for the benefit of a single group, ethnicity, or region,” said Yousuf Amin Zazi, a political analyst.
“The Pakistani government has historically used the Torkham border to pressure the Islamic Emirate and the Afghan people, and it continues to do so. As a result, people in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Central Asia are suffering widespread losses,” said Fazl Rahman Oria, another political analyst.
In recent years, relations between Kabul and Islamabad have deteriorated, exacerbated by the expulsion of Afghan refugees from Pakistan and Pakistani attacks on Afghan soil.