Overview
- Pakistan has ordered an open-ended closure of major crossings with Afghanistan, allowing only limited humanitarian passage and framing the move as a security-first policy shift.
- Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Hussain Andrabi ruled out meaningful economic engagement until the Taliban takes decisive, verifiable steps against groups such as the TTP.
- Afghan authorities are accelerating alternative routes, reporting $1.626 billion in six-month trade with Iran versus $1.108 billion with Pakistan, and expanding use of Iran’s Chabahar port with discounted fees and upgraded facilities.
- Ariana Afghan Airlines cut cargo rates on the Delhi route to $1 per kilogram for exports and $0.80 for imports, part of a broader push that includes new India flights to move perishables quickly.
- Mulla Abdul Ghani Baradar directed traders to settle Pakistan contracts within three months and seek new markets, as the 35-day Torkham shutdown leaves thousands of trucks stranded, slashes local incomes, and drives up food prices; Afghan sources also report a Taliban blockade of the Khyber Pass route.