Pakistan could soon resume imports from Afghanistan via the Torkham and Spin-Boldak transit gates, Afghan authorities said, adding that the exact date for reopening the gates would be clarified after the technical meetings between Kabul and Islamabad.
Afghanistan ambassador to Islamabad, Atif Mashal said: 'We are also working closely with the Pakistan government to make Ghulam Khan crossing a transit route soon.' According to him, the Ghulam Khan crossing would be open for import and export between the two countries.
Citing the spread of the pandemic in mid-March, Islamabad closed all of its transit gates with Afghanistan including, Torkham located alongside the Durand-Line in eastern Afghanistan-Spin-Boldak alongside the Durand-Line in southern Afghanistan. However the gates were later reopened only as a one-way portal for imports from Pakistan.
This is happening as Afghanistan's economy has been witnessing a severe breakdown after the blockage of the crossing points by Islamabad.
Earlier, the Chamber of Commerce had voiced frustration over the blockage of crossing gates against the Afghanistan exportation, saying that Afghan traders had accrued about 100 million dollar.
Head of the chamber of commerce and industry, Khan Jan Alokozai said that even the imports from Pakistan have not been renormalized as Pakistan has been creating obstacles against the Afghanistani goods. 'About 8,000 goods containers are stuck in the Karachi port,' he added.
As reported on menafn.com, the value of Afghanistan's exports in goods are worth one billion dollars a year.