Overview
- Pakistani officials formalized an open-ended shutdown of major crossings including Torkham and Chaman, allowing only limited one-way humanitarian movement for returns and stranded individuals.
- Taliban authorities have blocked the Khyber Pass/Torkham corridor and, according to Taliban sources, instructed Afghan traders to curb commerce with Pakistan and use alternative routes.
- Trade has stalled with thousands of trucks stuck on both sides and local markets in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reporting steep losses, as industry representatives cite daily export hits in the low millions of dollars.
- Afghanistan is accelerating rerouting through Iran’s Chabahar port and deepening links with India, with Ariana Afghan Airlines cutting cargo rates to Delhi and officials signaling curbs on certain Pakistani imports such as medicines after three months.
- Pakistan’s Foreign Office accuses the Taliban government of harboring anti-Pakistan militants and frames the closure as a strategic security-first policy shift targeting the TTP and related groups.