Between 11,000 and 12,000 containers from Afghan transit trade and the Central Asian Republic are stuck at Karachi port
PESHAWAR:
The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has warned that the prolonged closure of key border crossings at Ghulam Khan, Spin Boldak, Kharrachi and Torkham has caused huge financial losses to traders on both sides of the border.
More than 10,000 Pakistani and Afghan traders, along with commercial consignments in transit, are reportedly stranded at Karachi port, causing damage worth billions of rupees.
In a statement, SCCI President Junaid Altaf said the chamber had highlighted that 11,000 to 12,000 containers of Afghan and Central Asian Republic transit trade are stuck at Karachi port due to border closure. He added that thousands of export and import trucks belonging to merchants are also parked at these borders, and perishable products deteriorate, causing increasing losses.
“The backlog of containers has forced traders to pay high demurrage and detention costs on a daily basis, while border closures have disrupted the transit trade supply chain, crippling port, shipping and logistics services,” Altaf said. He warned that this situation is not only severely affecting domestic exports, but is also contributing to rising unemployment and subjecting traders who rely on cross-border trade to immense financial stress.
