PESHAWAR, Pakistan: Pakistan has formally reopened the Angoor Adda border crossing with Afghanistan after nearly two years, in what business leaders and officials hailed as a turning point for regional trade and local livelihoods.
The crossing — located in South Waziristan’s hilly Barmal Valley, linking Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with Afghanistan’s Paktika province — had been shut since 2023 due to security concerns. Its reopening is expected to ease pressure on the overburdened Torkham route, currently the busiest trade gateway between the two neighbors.
Traders say the step underscores Pakistan’s commitment to regulated trade with Afghanistan, which remains one of Islamabad’s largest export markets despite years of disruptions. Official figures estimate annual bilateral trade at $800–900 million, but business leaders believe the volume could rise to $3–4 billion if more crossings are streamlined and incentives are introduced.
“Nearly 300 trucks used to pass through daily before the closure,” said Saif-u-Rehman, president of the South Waziristan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. “With the new NLC terminal and operational customs facilities, movement of goods will increase manifold, creating thousands of jobs,” he told Arab News.
Local business leaders praised the development, calling it a “ray of hope” for traders, laborers, and communities along the frontier. The reopening is already generating employment, with at least 50 youth hired at customs and immigration posts, and nearly 10,000 workers indirectly engaged in cross-border trade.
Analysts say the move will not only boost commerce in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and South Punjab but also improve connectivity for Afghan patients and passengers traveling to Pakistani cities for treatment or business.
Local traders, tribal elders, and community leaders described the reopening as a step that would curb illicit trade, enhance security, and provide formal livelihoods to thousands of families who depend on cross-border movement.
Kabul has not yet issued an official statement, but Pakistani business leaders urged Afghan authorities to upgrade their side of the crossing and match Islamabad’s investment in infrastructure.
