January 27, 2026
By Hazrat Ali
CHAMAN
The closure of the Chaman border-crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan is causing a daily loss of a million dollars, because of the suspension of bilateral trade, claims a leader of the Chaman Chamber of Commerce. The closure of the border has now entered its fourth month. This vital trade route remains completely shut for all commercial activities and pedestrian movement, resulting in daily financial losses worth millions of rupees.
Dawood Bacha Khan, leader of the Chaman Chamber of Commerce, says that the suspension of bilateral trade has caused high loss. “The closure of the Chaman Pak-Afghan border is approaching 110 days, resulting in total losses exceeding 100 million dollars,” he told Voicepk.
The border closure has also caused severe difficulties for transporters. Their trucks are stranded in Afghanistan’s Spin Boldak district, while several trucks have been used to transport Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan. The impact of this border closure is being felt from Karachi to the Chaman border and across the frontier from Kandahar to Kabul, where millions of people are affected.
Growing concerns before Ramazan and Eid
“Ramzan and Eid are approaching while people’s means of livelihood have been shut down,” added Dawood. He called on both governments to sit together and find a sustainable solution to this border issue, keeping politics and conflict separate from trade and human needs.
The deepest impact of the border closure is visible in the Chaman vegetable market, where hundreds of laborers arrive early in the morning in search of daily wage work. Under current circumstances, most workers are unable to find work despite waiting all day and are forced to return home empty-handed in disappointment.
‘We are suffering severe financial hardship’
Border porter Shah Muhammad, describing his difficulties, said the closure of the border has caused his problems to grow day by day.
“I have been working as a daily wage labourer in the Chaman vegetable market for the past 15 years. My son also used to work with me,” he explained.
Shah Muhammad said, “When the border was open, I would earn between 1,000 to 1,200 Rupees daily, but now it has been four days since I got any work.” According to him, his son who previously worked here has now had to go to Karachi in search of employment, where he must work as a labourer.
The breadwinner of a 15-member family, Shah Muhammad expressed his helplessness: “On one hand, prices have suddenly increased in Chaman city, and on the other hand, employment opportunities have ended. What should we do in such circumstances? We are suffering severe financial hardship. We appeal to the governments to have mercy on ordinary people because our situation is getting worse day by day.”
Traders face losses worth crores
The Chaman vegetable market is also suffering a severe financial crisis. Commercial activities have come to a complete standstill due to the halt in the transportation of vegetables and fruits between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Sada Ullah, president of the Chaman Vegetable Market Union, laments, “When the border was open, traders had purchased goods worth crores of rupees, but due to tension between the two governments and the closure of routes, traders suffered heavy losses and most of their goods spoiled.”
He added: “Even now traders are incurring losses because whenever goods are brought to the market, they result in financial loss.” According to Sada Ullah, traders are facing severe distress and are still hoping that perhaps today or tomorrow the route will open. “If the situation continues like this, it is possible that many traders will abandon this business and turn to another sector,” he expressed his concern.
Need for urgent solution
The livelihood of hundreds of thousands of residents of Chaman city is linked to the Pak-Afghan border. Local traders, laborers, and citizens are demanding from both governments that the border closure issue be resolved as soon as possible; otherwise, poverty and unemployment may increase further.