Pakistan's Border Closure Backfires: Billions Lost, Central Asian Trade Route Blocked

• Pakistan's decision to close its border with Afghanistan, aimed at pressuring the Taliban, has severely backfired, causing massive economic losses for Pakistan.
• The border closure has cut off Pakistan's vital trade route not only to Afghanistan but also to 12 Central Asian countries, impacting billions in annual trade.
• Key Pakistani sectors like fruits, vegetables, cement, medicines, and textiles are suffering immense losses, with goods rotting and orders canceled.
• Central Asian nations, previously reliant on Pakistan's ports, are now shifting their trade routes to Iran's Chabahar Port, bypassing Pakistan entirely.
• Pakistan faces a "double whammy" of lost transit fees and rising domestic prices for essential goods like coal and vegetables previously imported from Afghanistan.

Why It Matters: Pakistan's border closure with Afghanistan has backfired, causing billions in losses and isolating it from Central Asian trade.