ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said on Thursday that customs clearance of exports and imports was suspended at Pakistan-Afghanistan key border points due to unprovoked aggression from the Afghan Taliban.
In a statement, the FBR said that the aggression from the Afghan side was jeopardising the security of the Customs Inspectors and staff posted at these stations.
“Due to security concerns majority of staff were temporarily relocated to the headquarters, while a small number of inspectors and sepoys were still present at each border station to start the customs clearance process as soon as the situation normalizes and borders open for trade,” it said.
Meanwhile, the Collectorates of Northern Region have cleared import consignments, which had arrived at these stations before the border closure, to facilitate trade and to avert a shortage of essential consumer goods in the market.
At the Customs Stations of Torkham, Ghulam Khan, Kharlachi, and Angoor Adda, falling under the jurisdiction of the Northern Region of Appraisement, 363 import vehicles have been cleared.
At Torkham, a border station which handles the maximum cargo in the Northern Region, around 255 export vehicles and 24 import vehicles are still standing at the terminal, while 200 vehicles are stranded along the Jamrud-Landi Kotal road.
It said that at Chaman Border Customs Station, customs clearance has been suspended since the 15th of October, 2025, and as of today, 5 import vehicles and 25 export vehicles are pending clearance.
Relations between Islamabad and Kabul deteriorated earlier this month as Afghan Taliban fighters and allied terrorist groups launched attacks on Pakistani border posts and civilian areas.
Pakistani forces retaliated strongly, killing several terrorists and compelling others to retreat.
After several days of intense clashes, both sides agreed to an “immediate ceasefire” on 19 October to prevent further escalation.
However, officials in Islamabad maintain that the presence of TTP sanctuaries inside Afghanistan remains a serious threat to Pakistan’s internal security.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a clear warning to Kabul, urging the Taliban government to “choose between Pakistan and the TTP.”
