Border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan have remained closed for 50 days, disrupting trade, cutting off daily income for workers along the frontier and leaving thousands of travellers stranded.
All major crossings — including Spin Boldak, Ghulam Khan, Angoor Adda and Chaman — remain shut.
Pakistan has kept the Torkham crossing partially open, but only for one-way expulsions of Afghan migrants, according to local sources. They said there has been no indication from either Islamabad or Kabul of concrete steps toward reopening the border in the near future.
The prolonged closure has stalled cross-border imports and exports, leaving hundreds of trucks carrying commercial goods stuck on both sides of the Durand Line. Traders and local analysts said the disruption is unprecedented in recent years, with no sign of immediate resolution.
In Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province, residents warned that the shutdown has sharply reduced local business activity, pushing daily earnings to near zero for those who depend on border trade. “In the past we worked at this crossing. My brother is also unemployed now. We used to earn 1,000 to 2,500 afghanis a day,” one resident told local media. Another said, “We earned 1,000 to 1,200 afghanis a day, but with the closure we are unemployed.”
The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce previously told Amu TV that monthly trade between the two countries averages around $200 million — roughly $150 million in Afghan imports and $50 million in exports. Based on those figures, both sides incur about $200 million in lost commercial activity every 30 days the border remains shut.
Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban administration escalated earlier this year, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of allowing the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to operate from Afghan territory. The Taliban deny the allegation. The dispute triggered armed clashes and ultimately led to the suspension of cross-border trade.
The shutdown has also trapped thousands of travellers on both sides, including patients who had travelled to Pakistan for medical treatment or were returning after receiving care. Many remain stuck along the frontier as the border standoff continues.
Local residents and experts say there is still no clear timeline for reopening the crossings.
