Afghan traders’ move to alternative routes hits Pakistan’s trade position: Researcher — Pajhwok

KABUL (Pajhwok): The closure of trade routes between Afghanistan and Pakistan has pushed Afghan traders towards alternative routes, threatening Pakistan’s position as a supplier, export market and transit corridor, a Pakistani researcher says. In an article published by Arab News, Naila Mahsud, a researcher in political affairs and international relations, said Pakistan had used the Torkham crossing for decades as a key trade corridor with Afghanistan and a means of exerting pressure on Kabul. She said Afghan traders had increasingly turned to routes through Iran and Central Asia since the closure of crossings with Pakistan, becoming familiar with new transport companies, commercial agents and alternative payment methods. Mahsud argued that traders might not readily return to their previous routes even if the crossings reopened. She added that Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry was among the sectors hit by the closures. According to her article, the value of Pakistan’s pharmaceutical exports fell from $457.46 million to $319.01 million, a decline of about 30 per cent. She said pharmaceutical manufacturers had blamed the trade disruptions for the drop. The closures have also increased transport costs for Pakistani goods destined for Central Asia. Citing CNN, Mahsud said Pakistani exporter Mohammad Naeem had reported that transporting goods from Torkham to Uzbekistan previously took about a week and cost between $2,000 and $3,000. Shipments routed through Iran…