The Torkham border crossing, a vital trade route between Pakistan and Afghanistan, has been closed for two days after a dispute over passport requirements for Afghan drivers.
The Taliban, who control the Afghan side of the border, have refused to allow Pakistani trucks to enter Afghanistan unless the Pakistani authorities waive the passport visa condition for Afghan drivers. The Pakistani officials, however, have insisted that the passport visa requirement is mandatory and has been implemented since Monday.
The closure of the Torkham border crossing has affected trade activities on both sides of the border, as hundreds of trucks carrying goods and commodities are stranded at the border. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, Pakistan is Afghanistan’s largest trading partner, and Afghanistan is Pakistan’s second-largest export market. In 2021, Pakistan exported $833 million worth of goods to Afghanistan, mainly rice, vegetable oils, and cement. Afghanistan exported $595 million worth of goods to Pakistan, mainly raw cotton, coal briquettes, and grapes.
The Torkham border crossing is also a strategic link between South Asia and Central Asia, connecting the Pakistani city of Peshawar with the Afghan city of Jalalabad. The border crossing has a history of being used by Afghan and Turkic caravans, as well as by invading armies of various empires. The border crossing was seized by the Taliban on August 15, 2021, as part of their offensive that toppled the previous Afghan government. Pakistan temporarily closed the border crossing in response, but later reopened it for humanitarian and trade purposes.
The current dispute over passport requirements is not a new issue, as it has repeatedly caused the closure of the border crossing and has harmed the trade and transit trade of both countries in the past. However, the authorities of both countries have failed to resolve the issue through dialogue and cooperation. The United States Institute of Peace has suggested that peaceful economic cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan and improved trade and transit facilities could help reduce tensions and foster stability in the region.