The ongoing tensions between Pakistan and India have left Afghan truckers in a difficult position. According to the central leader of the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PAJCCI), Afghan trucks carrying goods have been unable to cross the Wagah border due to India’s refusal to allow their passage. Additionally, Pakistan has also halted vehicles carrying goods imported from India under the transit agreement from entering Afghanistan through the Torkham and Chaman border points.
Earlier this week, Pakistan allowed 150 Afghan trucks carrying goods destined for India to cross the border, easing a bottleneck that had lasted for weeks. This followed Pakistan’s closure of its borders to trade with India in response to a deadly attack in occupied Kashmir, which India linked to cross-border activity without providing evidence. Pakistan denied these claims and called for a neutral investigation.
On April 24, during a National Security Committee meeting, Pakistan decided to halt trade with India, including transit to and from third countries through Pakistan. Despite this, PAJCCI leader Khan Jan Alokozay confirmed that while Pakistan allowed Afghan trucks to enter, India has not given permission for them to proceed to Wagah.
“150 trucks entered Pakistan and were supposed to continue to Wagah but have been stranded since April 25,” Alokozay told Dawn.com. “These trucks, carrying dried fruit, fresh produce, and vegetables, were first stopped by Pakistan, and now India is not allowing them through.”
Pakistan has also blocked Afghan commercial vehicles carrying goods imported from India. Around 1,500 containers from India had arrived at Karachi ports and were supposed to proceed to Torkham and Chaman, but these vehicles have been stopped, resulting in significant losses for Afghan traders. “These goods are in transit and meant for Kabul,” Alokozay said. “The delay is causing considerable damage, and it’s unfortunate that this issue remains unresolved.”
An Afghan official in Kabul confirmed that both Pakistan and India’s foreign ministries had issued letters requesting that Afghan trucks be allowed to pass through their borders. However, despite permission from both countries, Afghan trucks have not been allowed to cross the Attari-Wagah border into India.
The Afghan embassy in Islamabad also reported that customs officials at Wagah and Chaman had prevented Afghan trucks from entering Afghanistan, citing a lack of official instructions. According to a trader quoted by the embassy, customs officers at both borders indicated they had not received clearance from either India or Pakistan to allow the trucks to pass.
On April 30, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a letter stating that, in light of the strong bilateral relations between the two countries, Afghanistan’s stranded trucks would be allowed to cross the Wagah border to deliver goods to India. However, the Indian authorities have yet to permit further transit.
Under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), Afghanistan has the right to use Pakistan’s ports—Karachi and Gwadar—for imports and exports. This agreement, originally signed in 1965 and updated in 2010, expired in 2021, but both nations have expressed their intention to sign a revised agreement soon.
The continuing impasse underscores the challenges faced by Afghan truckers, caught in the crossfire of rising tensions between Pakistan and India.
