Business Daily (BBC World Service)

Episode: The cost of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border closure

Date: December 15, 2025
Host: Will Bain

Episode Overview

This episode explores the severe economic and human consequences of the two-month closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, caused by ongoing conflict and political tensions. With key trade routes blocked, tens of thousands of containers are stranded, businesses across Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia are facing devastation, and vital supplies—such as food and medicine—are going to waste. The episode features voices of traders, truck drivers, and leaders in the pharmaceutical and trade industries, highlighting not just the financial losses, but also the urgent humanitarian stakes of the standoff.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Border Closure and Its Immediate Impact

• The border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been closed for two months due to sporadic clashes over accusations of militancy.
• Will Bain paints a powerful picture of the consequences:
  • "Miles of trucks, rotting fruit and vital medicines going to waste..." [01:12]
  • Ceasefire breakdowns have led to disrupted lives and businesses on both sides.

2. Significance of the Border for Regional Trade

• Farhat Javid:
  • The border is described as "more than a crossing point, it's sort of a lifeline for traders on both sides." [01:27]
• The closure doesn’t just affect Pakistan and Afghanistan; it disrupts trade routes for Central Asian countries (Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan), who are largely dependent on access to Pakistani ports.
• Alternative trade via Iran is complicated by international sanctions, making the Pakistan route essential. [04:17]

3. The Scale of the Economic Standstill

• Junaid Makhta, President of the Pakistan Afghanistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, gives a stark overview:
  • "As of today, 11,000 containers are stuck in Pakistan... It is totally jammed now." [05:00 - 05:10]
  • Key numbers (under normal conditions):
    • 500 transit containers, 750 export trucks, and 620 Afghan import trucks cross daily
    • 6,792 containers stopped at Karachi alone

4. Human Stories Behind the Blockade

• Farhat Javid shares about women entrepreneurs:
  • Female traders in conservative provinces like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have seen their businesses collapse due to halted cross-border trade. [06:25 - 08:35]
  • Quote: "We train them, help them set up, and then suddenly the border closes and everything stops. This is not only about Afghanistan. Through Afghanistan, we reached markets in Central Asia too." [08:20]
• Truck drivers describe desperate conditions:
  • "We don't even have enough money here to buy food... We have even sold diesel from the truck." [Kamran Nasir, 08:49]
  • "The expenses for each vehicle have reached 200,000 rupees... I've even sold the diesel from my truck, 100 liters here, 150 liters there to cover the expenses." [09:07]

5. Critical Shortages: The Pharma Emergency

• Kamran Nasir, Chief Executive of AGP Pharma, details how the closure disrupts vital pharmaceutical exports:
  • "Out of that $500 million (total exports), roughly $200 million comes from Afghanistan. So it remains a significant market with about 30% of our export market share." [12:13]
  • Afghanistan relies on Pakistan for 80% of its medicines; the closure could lead to health crises.
  • "This means that prices would soar, people would not get medicines on time and there can be a health crisis back in Afghanistan." [13:44]
• Perishability is a key concern:
  • "Majority of it will go to waste because there is a shelf life and there is a strict regime under which they have to be kept while being transported." [14:42]

6. Political Stalemates and Calls for Mediation

• Junaid Makhta stresses the urgency:
  • "The need of the resolution is need of the hour right now, immediately. Lot of damages have taken place right now." [15:25]
  • Calls for international intervention (US, British High Commission) to help broker a solution
• Kamran Nasir emphasizes the humanitarian and business toll:
  • "We want this situation for humanity's sake to be resolved as soon as possible..." [16:36]
  • Acknowledges that pharmaceuticals, in particular, cannot be easily rerouted to new markets.
  • "In the pharmaceutical industry, you cannot replicate the same quantum of business in a short time frame... This would tend to be a permanent loss." [17:48]

7. No Resolution in Sight

• Farhat Javid details the political deadlock:
  • "Currently there are no negotiations taking place. Pakistan insists that until unless Afghanistan takes some action against the militant groups which are allegedly residing inside Afghanistan, there won't be any peace talks." [19:02]
  • Afghanistan denies involvement and faces international isolation, adding to the complexity of negotiations.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Farhat Javid:
  • "It is more than a crossing point, it's sort of a lifeline for traders on both sides." [01:27]
• Junaid Makhta:
  • “Out of these, 6,792 containers are halted exclusively at the Karachi terminal…” [05:10]
  • "The need of the resolution is need of the hour right now, immediately." [15:25]
• Kamran Nasir:
  • "So certainly it is very significant... About 30% of our export market share." [12:13]
  • “There is a huge number of patient flow that comes from Afghanistan to Pakistan for the treatment… so that population now would be suffering because they do not have access to a proper medical treatment in Pakistani hospitals." [13:24]
  • “Majority of it will go to waste because there is a shelf life…” [14:42]
  • "Pharma has a long gestation period. The time to market is significantly long. It takes two to three years to get products registered in other markets. So this would tend to be a permanent loss." [17:48]
• Anonymous Truck Driver (Kamran Nasir reads):
  • "We don't even have enough money here to buy food... I’ve even sold the diesel from my truck." [08:49]

Important Timestamps

• 01:12 – Will Bain introduces the border closure crisis.
• 03:00 – Farhat Javid explains the conflict's background and pattern of border closures.
• 05:00 – Junaid Makhta shares numbers of stranded containers and requests to separate trade from politics.
• 06:25 – Farhat Javid describes the strategic significance of the border and traders’ challenges.
• 08:49 – Truck driver testimony about dire conditions at the border.
• 12:13 – Kamran Nasir discusses the export impact on Pakistan’s pharmaceutical industry.
• 13:44 – Kamran Nasir details risks of medicine shortages and potential health crisis in Afghanistan.
• 14:42 – Discussion of perishable medicines going to waste.
• 15:25 – Junaid Makhta and Kamran Nasir call for urgent resolution and possible international mediation.
• 19:02 – Farhat Javid outlines the deadlock and lack of talks for reopening the border.

Tone & Language

The tone is urgent, empathetic, and deeply concerned, consistent with the serious humanitarian and business risks involved. The speakers express frustration at political impasses, personal distress over lost livelihoods, and a strong plea for external intervention and compassion, particularly for the most vulnerable.

Summary

This episode powerfully conveys the interconnectedness of trade, politics, and human well-being in South and Central Asia. The Pakistan-Afghanistan border closure is not just a news headline—it is a crisis shaking families, businesses, and entire regional economies, with consequences that could last long after the diplomatic stalemate ends. The call is clear: a resolution is not just necessary for commerce, but for lives hanging in the balance.