Pakistan closed its border crossings with Afghanistan, including Torkham and Chaman, during the October 2025 clashes and has largely kept them shut, opening them mainly for returning Afghans. The closure has stranded thousands of trucks and halted bilateral and transit trade, with heavy losses for traders on both sides.
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After 10 to 11 months of closure, traders reported severe losses, including a halt to roughly $200 million a year of trade in medicines and surgical goods
Trade is one of Pakistan's main levers over the Taliban, and the closure shows it is willing to bear economic costs to press its security demands. Prolonged closure also undercuts plans for Central Asian connectivity through Afghanistan and Pakistan's ports.
