50,000 traders lose jobs due to closure of Chaman crossing at Pak-Af border

Around 50,000 small and medium traders have lost their jobs due to the closing of the Chaman border crossing at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Former president of Chaman Chamber of Commerce Jamaluddin Achakzai said the closure of the crossing is costing local traders Rs100 million each day, according to Express Tribune.

Chaman is one of two main border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the second crossing present in the north at Torkham.

As a result of the closure, 1,450 Pakistani trucks — some loaded with dry fruits while others empty — are parked near the other side of the border, Express Tribune reported.

Meanwhile, Pakistani trucks on this side of the border were also parked whereas the crew of these trucks have nowhere to go. “Some of them don’t even have money for food and other basic essentials,” he added.

Haji Jalat Khan, another former president of the Chaman Chamber, called on the federal government to announce an immediate reopening of the border.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have two border crossings, — Torkham and Chaman — both have been closed on and off since the Taliban took control in August.

Islamabad — which has closed the border several times in recent months — blamed the Taliban for the recent closure of the Chaman crossing, however, the latter has not issued any official statement over the matter so far, according to Samaa TV.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Dear Reader,

Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.

We, however, have a request.

As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.

Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.

Digital Editor