Pakistan is reeling from a sudden surge in food inflation after the closure of its border with Afghanistan, which has led to extreme price increases for essential goods. The cost of tomatoes — a key staple in Pakistani households — has shot up by more than 400%, now retailing at around 600 Pakistani rupees (approximately Rs 188) per kilogram. The spike follows continued border tensions between the two countries, which escalated into violent clashes earlier this month.

The 2,600-kilometre border has remained sealed since October 11 after deadly confrontations and Pakistani airstrikes along contested regions. According to reports, the standoff has become the most serious since the Taliban takeover of Kabul in 2021, with dozens of fatalities recorded on both sides. With trade routes disrupted, Pakistan’s domestic markets are facing shortages of imported vegetables and fruit, sending prices skyrocketing.

As reported by Reuters, tomatoes and apples — largely sourced from Afghanistan — have been the hardest hit. The annual trade between the two nations, valued at nearly $2.3 billion (around Rs 20,000 crore), largely involves fresh produce, cereals, sugar, meat, and dairy products. Khan Jan Alokozay, head of the Pak-Afghan Chamber of Commerce, revealed that both sides are losing about $1 million daily, with nearly 5,000 goods containers stranded at the Torkham crossing.

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Local vendors confirm that Pakistan has turned to alternative sources, importing tomatoes from Iran, Sindh, and Quetta to contain the crisis. “The supply from Afghanistan has stopped because the border is closed… demand hasn’t decreased, but supply is much less,” a tomato seller in Islamabad told Arab News. Authorities have acknowledged the disruption but assured that “alternative supply routes are being strengthened,” according to Sajid Abbasi, Chairman of the Islamabad Market Committee.

A ceasefire brokered by Qatar and Turkey was reached last weekend and remains in effect, but trade along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border remains suspended. Diplomats from both countries are expected to reconvene in Istanbul on October 25 to discuss reopening the routes — a move that could provide much-needed relief to markets and consumers on both sides of the frontier.

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