Dr. Vaqar Ahmed

The ceasefire between Afghanistan and Pakistan brokered by Qatar and Turkiye may have silenced the guns for now, but as several analysts note, the durability of such agreements is always in doubt where mutual distrust runs deep. While many obsess over security doctrines and political posturing, the more insidious and lasting damage is economic. The central, tragic argument is that Pakistan and Afghanistan, two of Asia’s poorest countries, are engaged in economic destruction, where the immediate security costs are dwarfed by the long-term devastation to trade, livelihoods, and human capital.

The most significant and immediate economic impact of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border conflict is the severe disruption to bilateral and transit trade. With monthly bilateral trade of over USD 300 million, border crossings like Torkham and Chaman which facilitate on average $15 million in daily trade, are forced to close during clashes. This halts the flow of essential goods, such as Afghan agro supplies and coal heading south, and Pakistani pharmaceuticals, cement, surgical items, and textiles heading north, leading to widespread spoilage of perishables, stranded trucks, and inflationary pressures as seasonal demand goes unmet in both countries.

The human........

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