cable- The Tawarham border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan continues to be closed for the seventh day in a row, causing a worsening humanitarian and economic crisis, where travelers, especially patients who need treatment in Pakistan, suffer from difficult conditions, while merchants suffer heavy losses as a result of the stopping of the movement of goods.
With the continued stumbling of negotiations between the Afghan government and the Pakistani authorities, the political and security dimension of closure is highlighted as a major factor in the complexity of the crisis, as well as its regional and international repercussions that increase pressure on the Afghan economy.
Patient suffering
Javed Rahimi, a resident of Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, says that the closure of the crossing caused great suffering to patients stuck on the border.
Rahimi told Al -Jazeera Net that “hundreds of patients are waiting for the gate to open. We spent 7 or 8 days at the Jalabad Hotel, and there are people who cannot withstand the costs of accommodation, and some of them sleep in mosques. We demand that this path be opened so that our patients can move to Pakistan,” Rahimi told Al -Jazeera Net.
As for Ahmed Allah Sharifi, a resident of the state of Brown, north of Kabul, he complains about a similar situation, saying to Al -Jazeera Net, “I suffer from heart disease, and I was about to travel to the Pakistani city of Peshawar for treatment, but the crossing is closed. Every day we come here in the hope of opening it, but we are back disappointed. We do not know how long this situation will continue.”
Media reports stated that about 10,000 people were passing the crossing daily before closing it.
Economic losses
Not only did the closure on travelers, but also led to almost complete paralysis in the movement of trade between the two countries. Dia Al -Haq Huttte, one of the Afghan merchants, notes that the movement of the refrigerated trucks has caused heavy losses.
“Our vehicles are suspended on both sides, and it is clear that their survival without movement means heavy losses. All our refrigerated trucks are parked, and they must be operated to prevent fruits from damage, and this will lead to fuel consumption and increase costs.”
The total losses so far have estimated about $ 10 million, according to Khan Jean Alkuzi, one of the officials of the Joint Chamber of Trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
“The two parties incur losses of one million dollars per day. Unfortunately, our trade with Pakistan has become angry, and when security problems arise, the crossings are closed, which affects the economy and increases the suffering of the people.”
He added that more than 5 thousand trucks loaded with foodstuffs, vegetables and fruits are parked on both sides of the crossing, while the volume of trade exchange between the two countries decreased by 80% due to the tense conditions.
Alkuzi warned that the continued closure of the crossing may lead to high prices within the Afghan markets, especially the basic foodstuffs imported from Pakistan, which may lead to increased pressure on ordinary citizens.
He concluded the invitation of the government of Afghanistan and Pakistan to find a mechanism that ensures the continued movement of trade and the lack of use of the economy.
It is noteworthy that most imported goods pass through Pakistani ports, especially the port of Karachi. International financial institutions, such as the World Bank, have previously warned of the danger of Afghanistan’s excessive dependence on trade with Pakistan, and reports indicated that fragile economic relations between the two countries increase economic instability in Afghanistan.
Political and security enemies
The closure of the Torchin crossing was not just a temporary logistical procedure. Rather, it came in the context of political and security tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan. Since the Taliban arrived at power in August 2021, relations between Kabul and Islamabad have witnessed severe fluctuations, as Pakistan accuses the Afghan government of harboring armed groups that launch attacks inside its territory, while the Afghan government denies these allegations.
According to Afghan sources, the closure of the border crossings, such as the Tawarham crossing, has become one of the political pressure tools that Pakistan resorted to when security tensions are escalating.
Islamabad seeks, through these closures, to force the Afghan government to make concessions regarding security files, especially with regard to the activity of the Taliban Movement, Pakistan, which Islamabad accuses of launching cross -border attacks from Afghan lands, as the same sources show.
The fate of negotiations
Despite the urgent need to reopen the crossing, negotiations between the Afghan government and the Pakistani authorities have not yet made progress. Mukhlis Ahmed, official of the Chamber of Commerce between Afghanistan and Pakistan in the state of Ningerhar – Al -Jazeera Net – said that the talks did not result in any positive results.
“We are in constant communication with officials from both sides, but so far there is no concrete solution. The Pakistani government is calling for the Afghan authorities with clear security steps, while the Afghan government sees that closing is an unfair means of pressure that affects innocent citizens.”
Analysts feared that border crossings, such as Torkh, will become a permanent tool for political pressure between Kabul and Islamabad, and they see that the solution lies in clear agreements between the two countries, in addition to activating joint security mechanisms to address Pakistani fears without resorting to repeated closures.
