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Pak-Afghan border closures: It’s business that suffers the most!
Global Village Space |
Imtiaz Gul |
After 22 days, Pakistan reopened the Friendship Gate at Chaman border crossing on May 27 on “humanitarian grounds” coinciding with the Ramazan in Afghanistan. At least 12, including two FC personnel, five children, and three women were killed when Afghan forces attacked Pakistan civilian and military officials during a census enumeration in two villages on the Chaman border on May 5.
In June 2016, the border remained closed after a Pakistan Army Major and three others fell victim to the fire from across the Durand Line.
The cumulative 65-day closure at Chaman – between August 2016 and May 2017 alone – entailed a huge cost for traders and thousands of daily wage workers between Karachi and Kandahar.
In August 2016, Pakistan shut down the Spin Boldak and Chaman, border for nearly two weeks following protests and torching of the Pakistani flag at a rally on the Afghan side.
In February 2017, TTP/Jamaatul Ahrar attacks from their reported sanctuaries across the border enforced another closure for 32 days at Chaman and Torkham.
Read more: Afghan attack on Chaman border: What are Pakistan’s options?
And in May this year, a deadly ambush by Afghan forces of Pakistani enumerators near Spin Boldak, Chaman cost as many as 15 Pakistan lives. It led to another closure of border for nearly 20 days.
This cumulative 65-day closure at Chaman – between August 2016 and May 2017 alone – entailed a huge cost for traders and thousands of daily wage workers between Karachi and Kandahar.
The daily average losses just to the truckers, traders, and government, according to officials come to at least $3 million. No surprise the bilateral trade with Afghanistan has been on the wane.
Zubair Motiwala, president of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, reckons that Pakistan-Afghanistan trade has dropped by nearly 40 percent in recent years since early 2016.
In a formal complaint on the suspension of traffic in February and March to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) 6 April, Dr. Suraya Dalil, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the UN Office at Geneva spoke of damages of up to $90 million to Afghan traders.
Read more: What halts India & Afghanistan from making peace with Pakistan?
Afghan traders had voiced similar concerns in February and March, urging both governments to keep politics and trade separate as much as possible. This demand makes perfect sense because of:
The latest way of violence mounted by the Taliban i.e. Mansoori Operation and the ISIS-led terror campaign do reflect partially, if not entirely, the proxy war that Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India are caught in.
Read full article:
Pak-Afghan border closures: It’s business that suffers the most!
Global Village Space |
Imtiaz Gul |
After 22 days, Pakistan reopened the Friendship Gate at Chaman border crossing on May 27 on “humanitarian grounds” coinciding with the Ramazan in Afghanistan. At least 12, including two FC personnel, five children, and three women were killed when Afghan forces attacked Pakistan civilian and military officials during a census enumeration in two villages on the Chaman border on May 5.
In June 2016, the border remained closed after a Pakistan Army Major and three others fell victim to the fire from across the Durand Line.
The cumulative 65-day closure at Chaman – between August 2016 and May 2017 alone – entailed a huge cost for traders and thousands of daily wage workers between Karachi and Kandahar.
In August 2016, Pakistan shut down the Spin Boldak and Chaman, border for nearly two weeks following protests and torching of the Pakistani flag at a rally on the Afghan side.
In February 2017, TTP/Jamaatul Ahrar attacks from their reported sanctuaries across the border enforced another closure for 32 days at Chaman and Torkham.
Read more: Afghan attack on Chaman border: What are Pakistan’s options?
And in May this year, a deadly ambush by Afghan forces of Pakistani enumerators near Spin Boldak, Chaman cost as many as 15 Pakistan lives. It led to another closure of border for nearly 20 days.
This cumulative 65-day closure at Chaman – between August 2016 and May 2017 alone – entailed a huge cost for traders and thousands of daily wage workers between Karachi and Kandahar.
The daily average losses just to the truckers, traders, and government, according to officials come to at least $3 million. No surprise the bilateral trade with Afghanistan has been on the wane.
Zubair Motiwala, president of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, reckons that Pakistan-Afghanistan trade has dropped by nearly 40 percent in recent years since early 2016.
In a formal complaint on the suspension of traffic in February and March to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) 6 April, Dr. Suraya Dalil, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the UN Office at Geneva spoke of damages of up to $90 million to Afghan traders.
Read more: What halts India & Afghanistan from making peace with Pakistan?
Afghan traders had voiced similar concerns in February and March, urging both governments to keep politics and trade separate as much as possible. This demand makes perfect sense because of:
The latest way of violence mounted by the Taliban i.e. Mansoori Operation and the ISIS-led terror campaign do reflect partially, if not entirely, the proxy war that Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India are caught in.
Read full article:
Pak-Afghan border closures: It’s business that suffers the most!
