Trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan has suffered severe disruption amid ongoing tensions, with the closure of the Torkham border for the past 20 days causing daily losses worth billions of rupees to both sides.

Officials said Pakistan is losing over Rs1 billion per day due to border closure because of Afghanistan’s aggression, while Afghan traders face even heavier setbacks as their fruits and vegetables — ready for export — are spoiling because Pakistan remains their largest market.

Former senior vice president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce, Shahid Hussain, said that the current strain in Pakistan-Afghanistan relations is also affecting trade across Central Asia.

He urged the Afghan authorities to act prudently, warning that while Pakistan has alternative trade routes, Afghanistan’s reliance on Pakistan’s markets could lead to serious economic difficulties if the situation remains tense.