Chaman crossing closure at Pak-Afghan border renders around 50,000 traders jobless: Report

Since the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in August, as many as 50,000 small and medium traders have lost their jobs owing to the closure of the Chaman border crossing at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Jamaluddin Achakzai, the former head of the Chaman Chamber of Commerce, said that the crossing's closure costs local traders Rs 100 million each day, reported Express Tribune. Chaman is one of two major border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the other being Torkham, which is located in the north. As many as 1,450 Pakistani lorries, some loaded with dry fruits while others empty, are stranded at the other side of the border, reported the news outlet. 

Expressing his concern, Achakzai also said that many of the crew members of these lorries don't even have enough money to buy food and other necessities. Meanwhile, another former president of the Chaman Chamber, Haji Jalat Khan, has urged the federal government to declare the border open immediately, according to the news outlet. Torkham and Chaman borders have been closed on and off since the Taliban gained control on August 15. Islamabad, which has shut down the border multiple times in recent months, has accused the Taliban of the recent closure of the Chaman crossing, however, the Taliban is yet to issue an official statement on the matter, reported Samaa TV. 

Afghan traders accuse Pakistan of obstructing Chaman-Boldak transit route

Meanwhile, several Afghan traders have accused Pakistan's government of obstructing the Chaman-Boldak transit route. According to local media reports, attacks on Pakistani security stations near the Afghan border have intensified since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. Despite Pakistani authorities' claims that the Pak-Afghan border was completely safe, instability on the Afghan side appeared to be infiltrating Pakistan. The traders demanded that the relevant authorities find an urgent solution to the challenges alongside the so-called Durand Line's crossing points, reported news agency ANI citing The Afghanistan Times.

It should be mentioned here that last month, Afghanistan's business sector had urged the United States to release its frozen assets. In a news conference in Kabul, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) and the Afghanistan Chamber of Mines and Industry (ACMI) warned of economic collapse unless the country's frozen deposits are freed, according to TOLO News. Private sector representatives condemned the freeze of Afghanistan's reserve by the US as a violation of humanitarian law, and they urged the United Nations to defend the rights of Afghans in addition to the work it is doing to attract humanitarian aid to the country.

(With inputs from ANI)

(Image: ANI/AP)