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Around 50,000 small and medium traders have lost their jobs due to the closing of the Chaman border crossing at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Former president of Chaman Chamber of Commerce Jamaluddin Achakzai said the closure of the crossing is costing local traders Rs100 million each day, according to Express Tribune. Chaman is one of two main border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the second crossing present in the north at Torkham. As a result of the closure, 1,450 Pakistani trucks -- some loaded with dry fruits while others empty -- are parked near the other side of the border, Express Tribune reported. Meanwhile, Pakistani trucks on this side of the border were also parked whereas the crew of these trucks have nowhere to go. "Some of them don't even have money for food and other basic essentials," he added. Haji Jalat Khan, another former president of the Chaman Chamber, called on the federal government to announce an immediate reopening of the border. Afghanistan and Pakistan have two border crossings, -- Torkham and Chaman -- both have been closed on and off since the Taliban took control in August. Islamabad -- which has closed the border several times in recent months -- blamed the Taliban for the recent closure of the Chaman crossing, however, the latter has not issued any official statement over the matter so far, according to Samaa TV. (ANI)
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