Mon Mar 03 15:58:41 UTC 2025: ## Border Clash Halts Trade Between Afghanistan and Pakistan
**Peshawar, March 3, 2025** – A deadly exchange of fire between Pakistani and Afghan forces at the Torkham border crossing has further escalated tensions between the two nations, causing a significant disruption to trade and stranding thousands. The crossing, closed for eleven days due to a dispute over a new Afghan border post, witnessed renewed violence overnight.
According to the Afghan Interior Ministry, one Afghan security personnel was killed and another injured in the incident. A Pakistani official, speaking anonymously, claimed that Taliban forces initiated the attack, while Kabul’s Interior Ministry spokesman, Abdul Matein Qani, countered that Pakistan started the violence and that Afghan forces responded defensively. Qani also stated that Pakistan suffered casualties and damage to its border posts, though no figures were provided.
The closure of the vital trade route is causing significant economic hardship. Shakirullah Safi, head of the Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Investment, estimates Afghan traders are losing $500,000 daily. Thousands of trucks and vehicles are stranded on both sides of the border, leaving people facing harsh winter conditions. The daily flow of 600-700 vehicles carrying imports and exports has been completely halted, with an estimated 5,000 containers currently stuck. This incident marks yet another escalation in tensions between the two countries, with both having previously closed border crossings due to similar disputes.
First Piper 