Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade Shutdown Drives Up Costs, Cuts Jobs and Disrupts Exports

October 18, 2026 Current News Articles

Khaama Press

October 18, 2026

Afghan and Pakistani traders say nearly a year of closed border crossings has caused heavy economic losses, disrupted exports and left thousands of workers without jobs, while forcing businesses to use alternative routes that can raise shipping costs fivefold.

Khan Jan Alokozay, head of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, stated that transporting a container from Karachi to Afghanistan, which previously cost about $2,000 and took around 10 days, now costs as much as $10,000 through alternative routes, with delivery taking up to two months.

The disruption has particularly affected Afghanistan’s exports of fresh and dried fruit. Alokozay said some products are now shipped to India by air, while smaller quantities move through Iran and Central Asia. However, higher transport costs have reduced exporters’ profits and made it harder for farmers to reach foreign markets. International reporting has also documented spoiled Afghan produce, rising freight costs and the growing use of alternative trade corridors.

Pakistani businesses have also been hit by the shutdown. Shahid Hussain, a former head of the joint chamber in Peshawar, said border communities had suffered extensive job losses, affecting daily-wage workers, truck drivers, transport companies and customs agents. Traders say the suspension has also hurt Pakistani exports of cement, medicines, flour, rice and other goods to Afghanistan.

The scale of the disruption is reflected in transit-trade figures. Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported that only 11,592 containers carrying Afghan transit goods, valued at about $367 million, passed through the route in the 2025-26 financial year, compared with much higher volumes in previous years. The data also points to a sharp decline in Afghanistan exports routed through Pakistan to third-country markets.

Afghanistan has increasingly redirected imports through Iran and Central Asia, but traders say these alternatives are more expensive and take longer.

Alokozay and Hussain said they had raised traders’ concerns with officials in both countries but saw little indication that the crossings would reopen soon. They warned that continued restrictions would deepen losses for farmers, exporters, transport businesses and workers whose livelihoods depend on cross-border commerce.

The main trade crossings were closed in October 2025 following escalating clashes and tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan. The shutdown has disrupted a longstanding commercial corridor that connected Afghan businesses to Karachi’s seaports and provided Pakistani exporters with access to Afghanistan market.

UN Envoy Rabab Fatima Arrives in Kabul to Lead Afghanistan Mission

October 18, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

October 18, 2026

Rabab Fatima, the United Nations’ newly appointed Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), has arrived in Kabul and formally assumed her duties, the United Nations said.

In a statement published on Sunday, the UN confirmed that Fatima began her role on October 16, taking over leadership of the mission as Afghanistan continues to face political, humanitarian and human rights challenges under Taliban rule.

Fatima brings more than 30 years of experience in national and international public service, including bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, policymaking, advocacy, and the planning and implementation of programmes. Before her appointment, she served as UN under-secretary-general and high representative for the least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing states.

The Bangladeshi diplomat previously served as her country’s ambassador and permanent representative to the UN in New York from 2019 to 2022. During that period, she led the executive boards of UNICEF and UN Women and became the first woman elected chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission in 2022. She has also served as Bangladesh’s ambassador to Japan and held senior positions at the country’s foreign ministry and diplomatic missions.

Guterres announced Fatima’s appointment on July 15, succeeding Roza Otunbayeva of Kyrgyzstan. The secretary-general also acknowledged the service of Georgette Gagnon, UNAMA’s deputy special representative, who had been overseeing the mission during the leadership transition.

UNAMA plays a central role in the United Nations’ political engagement with Afghanistan, supporting dialogue, coordinating humanitarian efforts and monitoring the country’s human rights situation. Its work comes amid continuing international concerns over restrictions imposed on Afghan women and girls, humanitarian needs and the Taliban authorities’ relationship with the international community

Clashes Erupt Between Taliban and Pakistan in Paktia’s Dand Patan District

October 17, 2026 Current News Articles

Mohammad Farhaad

Hasht e Subh daily

17 October 2026

Map of Paktia Province highlighted in red inside the map of Afghanistan. (Photo Credit: 8am.media)

Local sources say clashes have erupted between the Taliban and Pakistani forces in the Dand Patan district of Paktia province, with Pakistan firing artillery shells toward the area.

China Urges Kabul to Crack Down on Terrorist Groups in Afghanistan

October 17, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

October 17, 2026

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged Taliban authorities to take concrete measures against terrorist groups operating in Afghanistan, warning that the country’s stability is closely linked to security across Asia.

Wang made the remarks on Thursday, October 15, at the seventh summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Baku, Azerbaijan. He attended the meeting as a special representative of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Wang described Afghanistan as an important part of Asia’s security architecture and called on Taliban authorities to work toward lasting peace and stability. He also urged regional countries to coordinate more closely on Afghanistan and continue supporting its economic development and humanitarian needs.

The remarks reflect Beijing’s longstanding security concerns over militant groups based in Afghanistan and the potential threat they could pose to neighboring countries. China has repeatedly pressed Taliban authorities to take effective action against the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM), which Beijing considers a threat to its national security.

Taliban officials have repeatedly said they will not allow Afghanistan territory to be used to threaten other countries. They also maintain that their forces are fighting Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP) and other armed groups. However, regional governments continue to raise concerns about cross-border militancy and the wider security implications of developments in Afghanistan.

Wang’s comments came as regional governments continued discussions on terrorism, security cooperation and development at the CICA summit. Participants adopted the Baku Declaration and called for stronger multilateral cooperation and confidence-building measures across Asia.

Afghanistan’s absence from the summit also highlighted the country’s unresolved diplomatic status. Afghanistan remains a CICA member, but the organisation’s seventh summit opened without a Taliban representative, despite the group’s efforts to increase its participation in the forum.

NRC Warns One-Third of Afghans Could Face Hunger This Winter

October 17, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

October 17, 2026

Nearly 19.2 million people in Afghanistan are projected to face acute food insecurity during the coming winter, as unemployment, high prices, reduced humanitarian assistance and pressure from returning migrants deepen the country’s humanitarian crisis, according to a new assessment by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC).

The assessment estimates that 15.9 million people, or 32 percent of the population, are already experiencing crisis-level hunger or worse. The number is projected to rise to 19.2 million, around 38 percent of the population analysed, between November 2026 and April 2027. About five million people could face emergency levels of food insecurity requiring urgent assistance.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has warned that the situation could deteriorate further as winter reduces employment opportunities and limits agricultural activity. High food and transport costs, weak purchasing power and declining humanitarian funding are leaving many families struggling to afford basic necessities.

The crisis is also affecting children and women. The IPC projects that approximately 4.04 million children aged six to 59 months will require treatment for acute malnutrition in 2027. More than one million pregnant and breastfeeding women are also expected to need treatment for acute malnutrition.

Large-scale returns from Iran and Pakistan, trade disruptions and pressure on already limited jobs and services have added to the strain on vulnerable households. Many returnees have limited access to land, stable employment and reliable sources of income, increasing their risk of hunger.

The NRC has called for humanitarian assistance to be increased before winter conditions worsen. Aid agencies have also warned that declining funding is weakening their ability to provide food assistance and nutrition services to families most at risk.

Russian FM Says Security Threats in Afghanistan Persist

October 17, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

October 17, 2026

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned Friday that security threats linked to Afghanistan remain a concern for Central Asia, saying militant groups could undermine stability in the region and pose risks to neighbouring countries.

Speaking at a security conference in Moscow involving the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Lavrov said Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) was seeking to undermine the Taliban authorities’ ability to maintain stability and expand militant activity into Central Asia and Russia.

Lavrov said Russia would continue providing economic and humanitarian assistance to the Afghan population. He also emphasized Moscow’s support for efforts to strengthen security along the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border, including assistance through the CSTO.

The Russian foreign minister’s remarks come amid continuing regional concerns about militant activity near Afghanistan’s northern borders. Tajikistan has reported security incidents in border areas, including attacks that killed or wounded Chinese nationals and workers involved in construction and mining projects. Tajik authorities have linked some of the incidents to armed groups operating from Afghanistan.

Lavrov’s comments reflect Moscow’s continued focus on the security consequences of the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Russia has repeatedly raised concerns about militant groups operating in Afghanistan, while Taliban officials have rejected allegations that Afghanistan territory is being used to threaten other countries. In February, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said no country had faced threats from Afghanistan soil during the group’s rule.

The Moscow conference brought regional security concerns, including terrorism, border protection and cross-border militant activity into focus as Russia and its partners seek to coordinate responses to threats they associate with developments in Afghanistan.

Russia-Afghanistan Trade Doubles in First Half of 2026, Envoy Says

October 17, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

October 17, 2026

Trade between Russia and Afghanistan doubled in the first six months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s special representative for Afghanistan, Zamir Kabulov, said.

Kabulov made the remarks on Friday at a meeting in Moscow on security in Central Asia and Afghanistan, attended by representatives of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

He acknowledged that the overall value of bilateral trade remained relatively low but said the increase was significant given Afghanistan’s economic conditions following two decades of US and NATO military presence.

Kabulov said Russia would seek to maintain steady and gradual growth in trade, describing cooperation between Moscow and Kabul as increasingly constructive and based on mutual interests.

The remarks came as Russia seeks to expand its economic engagement with Afghanistan. A Russian delegation led by Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk is expected to visit the country in the near future to discuss trade and economic cooperation, although Kabulov has not announced a date for the visit.

Russian officials reported that bilateral trade reached approximately $326 million in 2025, while Kabul estimates have put the figure higher. The differing figures underline the need to distinguish between the reported growth rate and the overall value of trade.

Russia has expanded commercial ties with Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. Moscow formally recognized the Taliban administration in 2025, becoming the first country to do so, and has pursued cooperation in areas including fuel, agricultural products and regional security.

Despite the reported increase in trade, the two countries face the challenge of sustaining growth and broadening economic cooperation. Kabulov said Moscow intended to preserve the upward trend, but provided no detailed breakdown of the first-half trade figures.

OIC Foreign Ministers to Discuss Afghanistan in Baghdad

October 17, 2026 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

TV Network

16 OCTOBER 2026

Grieco: Our Goal Is Economic Stability and Investment in Afghanistan

October 17, 2026 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

17 October 2026

EU envoy says restrictions on women and girls an obstacle to normalizing ties with IEA

October 15, 2026 Current News Articles

Ariana News

October 15, 2026

The European Union’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Thomas Frellesen, has described restrictions on women and girls as a major obstacle to normalising relations between the EU and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), following a three-day visit to Kabul.

According to an EU statement issued Thursday, Frellesen visited Kabul from October 12 to 14, holding discussions with senior IEA officials, diplomats, regional partners, representatives of the United Nations and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and members of Afghan civil society.

During the visit, he expressed serious concern over restrictions on women and girls, saying they remained a significant barrier to closer relations between the EU and the IEA. In a meeting with Afghan women’s civil society representatives, he also heard about the impact of the restrictions and women’s resilience in the face of these challenges.

On security, Frellesen acknowledged that conditions in Afghanistan had generally improved but warned about the continued presence and cross-border activities of terrorist groups, including Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). He stressed that the IEA must ensure Afghan territory is not used to threaten other countries.

The EU envoy also recognised the IEA’s counter-narcotics efforts but raised concern over a renewed increase in poppy cultivation. He called for sustainable alternative livelihoods for farmers affected by the ban on opium cultivation, noting that the EU was supporting such initiatives.

Frellesen urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resume dialogue to address their security concerns, emphasising the need to de-escalate tensions and protect civilians and civilian infrastructure. The EU also welcomed regional and international mediation efforts, the OIC’s role in promoting stability, and initiatives aimed at strengthening regional connectivity.

Reaffirming the EU’s support for the UN-led Doha Process, Frellesen said coordinated international engagement and constructive participation by the IEA were essential to Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community. He also stressed the importance of inclusive governance and compliance with international obligations.

The discussions further covered continued EU assistance in healthcare, education, resilience and livelihoods, including support for Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan. Frellesen emphasised that returns should be safe, dignified and orderly, and called for greater attention to climate-related projects.

He also highlighted the importance of a resilient private sector and the preservation of Afghanistan’s cultural heritage.

The EU said its engagement with Afghanistan would remain principled and pragmatic, with a focus on addressing the needs of the Afghan people.

Recent Posts