The Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce reported that the Torkham crossing has been closed for over ten days, resulting in millions of dollars in losses for traders during this period.

Officials from the chamber have called on Pakistani authorities to address the situation at the Torkham crossing.

“There has been a protest on the Torkham-Peshawar highway for the last ten days, with local people gathering, which has led to the closure of trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan. A significant volume of trade depends on the Torkham crossing,” said Naqibullah Safi, Executive Director of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce.

Zalmai Azimi, a trader, said: "Currently, thousands of our empty containers are stuck on the Afghan side, costing us $200,000 per day in detention fees. For the past 15 days, around 700 to 800 of our trucks have been stranded in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, causing substantial losses to Afghanistan’s private sector. We urgently request the Islamic Emirate to resolve this issue with Pakistan."

While Afghanistan's largest annual exports are to Pakistan, frequent disruptions often reduce the volume of trade.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's Dawn newspaper reported that the closure of the Torkham crossing since August 21 has cost Pakistan approximately 540 million rupees in losses.

Trader Omid Haidari noted: "The closure of the Torkham highway has severely impacted our exports, reducing them by nearly 50%. Most of our export and transit goods to India pass through the Torkham crossing, which has also negatively affected our trade with India."

The Chargé d'Affaires of the Islamic Emirate in Pakistan stated that Pakistani authorities have assured them the issue will be resolved.

Sardar Ahmad Shakib, the Chargé d'Affaires, added: "Pakistani government officials had promised us they were negotiating with those who blocked the road. However, no results have been reached so far, and the talks seem to have stalled as they are not being allowed to continue."

According to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Afghanistan's exports to Pakistan in the first half of the current year amounted to $329 million, marking a 31% decrease compared to the same period last year.