Afghanistan Internet Shutdown Disrupts Trade with Pakistan at Torkham

DID Press: A sudden internet shutdown in Afghanistan on Wednesday severely disrupted bilateral trade with Pakistan at Torkham border crossing, causing significant problems for hundreds of traders, customs officials, and truck drivers.

According to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, sources in Torkham reported that Pakistani customs officials faced serious difficulties in clearing goods due to lack of internet access on the Afghanistan side. Online verification of export documents from Afghanistan and import records from Pakistan is a prerequisite for clearance of goods after the submission of a Goods Declaration (GD).

Mujibullah Shinwari, head of Torkham Customs Clearing Agents Association, said that the internet outage caused hundreds of trucks, carrying perishable goods such as fruits and vegetables, to remain stranded at the border. He added that only after intensive negotiations was a temporary arrangement made to allow for the emergency clearance of goods, with traders required to submit an affidavit to verify their documents.

“We are currently operating under a temporary mechanism, but we have no clear information about when the internet will be restored on the Afghan side,” Shinwari said.

Customs and immigration officials at Torkham also reported that official communication with Afghanistan counterparts had been halted. They warned that if the situation persists, it will further affect declining trade between the two countries.

However, by late Wednesday, telecommunication and internet services were partially restored in some areas of Afghanistan.