Pakistan-Afghanistan border closures paralyze trade along a key route

Border Shutdowns Spark Economic Crisis

Pakistan's decision to close key border crossings with Afghanistan on February 9, 2026, has brought cross-border trade to a standstill along one of South Asia's most critical routes.

This move comes amid heightened security threats, with Pakistani officials citing militant activities originating from Afghan soil as the primary reason. The closures affect major points like those in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where traders have long relied on daily exchanges of goods ranging from food staples to construction materials.

Communities on both sides, already grappling with fragile economies, now face immediate shortages and lost incomes. Truck drivers, shopkeepers, and farmers who depend on this lifeline are left idle, watching as perishable goods rot at checkpoints. The ripple effects extend beyond the border, hitting supply chains that once funneled Pakistani exports deep into Afghanistan and onward to Central Asia.

Mounting Security Tensions Drive the Closures

The backdrop to these closures is a surge in violence linked to groups like the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, which Pakistani authorities accuse of using Afghan territory as a safe haven.

Reports highlight a sharp rise in civilian casualties from cross-border military actions in late 2025 and early 2026, prompting Islamabad to prioritize national security over economic ties.

Pakistani leaders argue that open borders have allowed militants free movement for attacks, logistics, and infiltration, making the shutdown a necessary evil.

The protection of lives must take precedence over short-term economic pain, and security is not the enemy of regional integration but its prerequisite, a senior Pakistani official emphasized in recent statements.

While Afghanistan's Taliban administration faces its own governance challenges, including a slowly recovering economy battered by trade disruptions and external pressures, the blame game continues. Both nations insist they seek cooperation, but only after the other addresses the root threats.

Trade Volumes Plunge, Rival Markets Emerge

The economic fallout is stark, with bilateral trade dropping sharply from around $2.5 billion in 2024 to under $1.8 billion in 2025, and exports from Pakistan to Afghanistan halving in the second half of that year.

Key Pakistani commodities like cement, pharmaceuticals, wheat flour, and kinnow fruits, which once dominated Afghan markets, are now piling up unsold. Revenue from customs duties in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province has nosedived, hurting government coffers and private businesses alike.

Transit trade, vital for routing goods to Central Asia via Pakistani ports, has collapsed from tens of thousands of containers annually to just a fraction. Afghan exporters of food and coal, previously sending nearly half their output to Pakistan, are scrambling for alternatives.

Importers in Afghanistan are turning to Iran for cheaper cement, Uzbekistan and Turkey for other supplies, and even India via costly air routes. Once these new pathways solidify, reversing the shift will be tough, potentially locking Pakistan out of a lucrative market it long held sway over. Regional players like Iran and Central Asian states are stepping in, offering Afghanistan better access while questioning Pakistan's reliability as a transit hub.

Broader Implications for Regional Stability

These closures exacerbate Afghanistan's economic woes, where a widening trade deficit, persistent poverty, and food insecurity already strain the population.

The United Nations has noted how such disruptions, combined with returning migrants and natural disasters, hinder recovery efforts under Taliban rule. For Pakistan, the policy risks alienating border communities and straining its own export-driven growth, even as it aims to curb terrorism.

Diplomats on both sides hint at willingness to reopen once security improves, framing the pause as temporary. Yet prolonged standoffs could foster deeper mistrust, pushing trade toward rivals and complicating efforts at regional connectivity. Businesses urge dialogue, warning that weaponizing borders only breeds mutual harm without resolving underlying conflicts.

In summary, the Pakistan-Afghanistan border closures have paralyzed a key trade artery, slashing volumes, disrupting livelihoods, and inviting competition from other nations, all while security concerns dominate the narrative. Sustainable reopening hinges on joint action against militancy, but for now, the economic pain underscores the high stakes of their fraught neighborly ties.