The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Pakistan has suspended cargo transport to Afghanistan under the Afghan Transit Trade agreement following recent border clashes between Pakistani forces and the Taliban, Geo News reported Thursday.
The move, ordered by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR),
affects shipments from Karachi ports, where port terminals have begun
offloading containers already loaded onto vehicles, according to the report.
The decision was made during a meeting at the Directorate of
Transit Trade Headquarters in Karachi, chaired by the Director General of
Afghan Transit Trade, amid escalating tensions between the two neighbors.
Recent days have seen fierce border clashes triggered after
Pakistani forces responded to what officials described as unprovoked attacks by
Taliban fighters and allied militant groups, Geo News said. Pakistan claimed it
carried out “precision strikes” and “physical raids” targeting Taliban camps,
training facilities, and support networks inside Afghanistan, killing more than
200 militants.
The violence prompted a 48-hour cease-fire earlier this week
at the request of Taliban authorities in Kabul, but tensions remain high.
The report said the suspension of Afghan transit trade is indefinite,
as customs stations in Quetta and Peshawar have reached capacity. Terminals at Karachi
Port and Port Qasim have halted all clearance operations for Afghan-bound
cargo, and Afghan transit gate passes have been canceled.
Long queues of containers were reported at the South Asia
Pakistan Terminal (SAPT), with hundreds of trucks stranded or en route to
border crossings. Drivers have been told to wait until operations resume.
