Traders express concerns about border closures

Federal Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan on Friday held a high-level consultative meeting with leaders, traders and community representatives from the Chaman region, including members of the Chaman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to discuss pressing issues affecting cross-border trade on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

According to an official statement, the meeting mainly focused on the challenges arising from the frequent and prolonged closure of the Chaman border crossing, which according to stakeholders has caused serious disruption to economic activity in the region. Participants highlighted the serious socio-economic consequences of these closures, pointing to ongoing financial losses for traders, repeated disruptions to exports of perishable goods, rising unemployment and increasing hardship for the local population, much of which is heavily dependent on cross-border trade for their survival.

According to the statement, Kamal Khan listened to the concerns raised during the meeting and assured the participants that the Ministry of Commerce would provide full support in addressing trade-related issues and facilitating legitimate cross-border trade. He stressed that the difficulties faced by the trading community of Chaman are a matter of priority for the government and require constant attention.

The minister clarified, however, that while the Department of Commerce will continue to support the improvement of trade facilitation and smooth cross-border movement, decisions about opening or closing borders are made collectively by the government based on broader national considerations. He noted that such decisions do not fall under the sole mandate of the Commerce Department.