The Afghanistan-Pakistan border is more than a boundary between two countries. For millions of Afghans, crossings such as Torkham and Spin Boldak are vital trade routes for food, fuel, medicine, agricultural supplies and other everyday necessities. But repeated closures and restrictions have increasingly turned these crossings into instruments of political and security pressure.

The paper argues that this is not simply a problem of poor border management. Trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan has increasingly been shaped by security considerations. Crossings are often closed following political tensions, military incidents or security threats, even when the underlying dispute has little to do with trade itself.

For traders, the effects are immediate. Shipments are delayed or stranded, costs rise and businesses are left uncertain about when a crossing will reopen.........

© Khaama Press