Pakistan has reportedly put hundreds of containers carrying Afghan traders' goods up for auction at Karachi Port, exploiting a year-long border shutdown triggered by armed skirmishes with the Taliban regime. The move, confirmed by trade officials and media reports, has drawn sharp criticism from Afghan commerce bodies who say it violates regional and international trade norms.

What Is Happening at Karachi Port

Pakistani customs authorities cited mounting unpaid taxes, storage charges, and prolonged administrative delays as justification for initiating the auction of stranded consignments. According to reports quoting Pajhwok Afghan News, the auction began a few days ago, shortly after the closure of key trade and transit routes between the two countries. Officials from the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce have formally described Pakistan's action as contrary to both regional and international trade law.

Earlier this year, Pakistani authorities had allowed Afghan traders to either reclaim stranded goods or redirect shipments to other destinations. At that stage, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries warned that around 15,000 containers and consignments belonging to Afghan traders were at risk of being auctioned. According to the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce, more than 60 per cent of those goods have since been returned to their countries of origin or rerouted to Iran's Chabahar and Bandar Abbas ports. The remaining consignments, however, remain trapped in a cycle of unpaid fees and bureaucratic hurdles that traders say they cannot resolve.

The Border Closure and Its Origins

The Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings — two of the most critical land routes between the two countries — have remained closed since October 2025 following intermittent armed skirmishes, causing significant economic losses on both sides. Pakistan reportedly informed traders that these crossings would remain shut indefinitely, and separately ordered Karachi Port to suspend loading of goods belonging to Afghan traders 'until further notice.'

The border tensions have deep historical roots, with Kabul long contesting the Durand Line as a colonial imposition that arbitrarily divided Pashtun communities. Relations deteriorated sharply after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in 2021, with Islamabad repeatedly accusing Kabul of harbouring militant groups — particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and ISIS-K — responsible for cross-border attacks. Afghanistan has consistently denied sheltering such elements and argues that Pakistan is holding it accountable for what it calls Pakistan's own internal security failures.

Economic Fallout on Both Sides

The prolonged closure has inflicted severe collateral damage. Trade in perishable goods such as fruits and vegetables was among the first casualties, with prices spiralling on both sides of the border. Restricted medical travel has compounded humanitarian concerns. Livelihoods dependent on cross-border commerce have been severely disrupted.

Taliban authorities in Kabul have urged Afghan businesses to seek alternative trade routes. However, the Iranian border — which grants Afghanistan access to Chabahar Port — has itself been affected by the broader West Asia crisis, narrowing the options available to Afghan traders further.

Pakistan's Position and the Bigger Picture

Reports quoting Pakistan's Foreign Ministry noted that Pakistan remains Afghanistan's largest transit trade and connectivity partner, with border crossings such as Torkham and Chaman playing a central role in commerce. Islamabad's diplomatic and commercial authorities have emphasised that transit arrangements through Pakistani ports are critical for Afghanistan's access to international markets and trade links with Central Asia.

Critics argue, however, that the auction of stranded goods amounts to profiting from a crisis Pakistan itself has helped create. This is not the first time the trade corridor has been weaponised in the context of bilateral tensions — but the scale of the current disruption, and the formal auctioning of goods, marks a significant escalation in the use of economic leverage. How the Taliban government responds — and whether third-country mediation is sought — will likely determine the next phase of this bilateral standoff.