Overview
- Commercial traffic at Torkham and other crossings has been suspended since October 12 after deadly cross‑border fire, leaving trucks stranded with rotting produce.
- Retail fruit prices in Pakistani cities have doubled or more, vendors report bare shelves and accuse profiteers, and low‑income households are cutting fruit from their diets.
- Pakistani wholesalers say Afghan suppliers refuse reimbursements for spoiled fresh consignments while offering only 15–20% reductions on dried fruits, and traders are urging a one‑off clearance of paid cargo.
- Reported losses include Rs40m–Rs100m per firm and roughly $100m across both sides, with up to 25,000 workers affected and stuck containers racking up $150–$200 in daily port fees.
- Afghan authorities are steering exporters toward Iran, Central Asia, Russia and India, with flows via Iran and Turkmenistan up 60–70% and initial apple and pomegranate shipments dispatched to Russia.