Pakistan shuts Ghulam Khan crossing with Afghanistan, sparking trade concerns

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 3 (ANI): Pakistan has closed the Ghulam Khan border crossing with Afghanistan's Khost province, enforcing stricter visa and passport regulations in a move that has stranded travelers and triggered concerns about disrupted trade and cross-border ties, Khaama Press reported.
The closure, which took effect early Friday, August 1, ends the informal practice that allowed certain individuals including patients to cross using "tokens" instead of full travel documents, Khaama Press stated.
Ghulam Khan is one of three official border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan, connecting Khost province to Pakistan's North Waziristan. It is considered the third most critical checkpoint after Torkham and Chaman, serving as a key route for both trade and passenger movement. The crossing was formally opened in 2018.
It is not yet clear whether the new restrictions apply to commercial trucks or only to passenger traffic. According to Khaama Press, this uncertainty has caused unease among traders and transporters who rely on the route for business.
The shutdown comes just weeks after Pakistan temporarily blocked the same crossing, underlining the frequency with which Ghulam Khan has been used as a pressure point in political and security disputes, Khaama Press noted.
The route offers a shorter, more direct path for exports particularly fresh and dried fruits from Afghanistan into Pakistan and beyond. Frequent closures have had an immediate impact on local economies and disrupted daily life in the region.
Observers have warned that unless Islamabad implements a consistent and stable border policy, such closures will continue to damage Afghanistan's already fragile economy and strain bilateral relations.
The situation is further compounded by the return of nearly 1.2 million Afghans from Pakistan since September 2023, many to dire conditions, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which has warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis if urgent support is not provided, Khaama Press reported.
According to a UNHCR report released Thursday, between September 15, 2023, and June 30, 2025, nearly 1.2 million Afghan migrants crossed back into Afghanistan from Pakistan.
More than 156,000 returnees, including 98,000 registered cardholders, have received humanitarian assistance since their return, Khaama Press reported.
The UN agency noted that women and girls comprise about half of those receiving aid, while approximately 2.2 percent of all returnees are people with disabilities.
UNHCR further stated that over 315,000 Afghans returned in 2025 alone, including 51,000 forcibly deported by Pakistani authorities.
Khaama Press reported that mounting political and security pressures in Pakistan are threatening the long-term status of more than two million Afghan refugees who have lived there for decades.
"Many returnees face bleak conditions, lacking proper housing, jobs, and access to essential services in an already fragile Afghanistan," UNHCR warned.
Aid agencies have urged Afghan authorities and the international community to scale up assistance, warning that "without sustained help, the wave of returns could deepen Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis," Khaama Press noted. (ANI)