UN: Pakistan Border Closure Costing Afghanistan $1M Daily

DID Press: UN Security Council has warned that the closure of border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan is costing Afghanistan’s economy an estimated $1 million per day.

In its latest report, the Security Council cautioned that unless the underlying disputes between the Taliban and Pakistan are resolved, the risk of escalating military confrontation will escalate between the two sides. It said the continuation of the current situation could have serious economic and security consequences for Afghanistan and the wider region.

At the same time, the UN sanctions monitoring committee dismissed Taliban claims that no terrorist groups are operating in Afghanistan as “not credible,” noting that UN member states consistently confirm the presence and activity of such groups.

According to the report, groups including Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), al-Qaeda, the East Turkistan Islamic Movement, Jamaat Ansarullah and the Pakistani Mujahideen Alliance remain active in Afghanistan and pose a threat to regional security.

The report also said that decrees issued by Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada are not implemented uniformly across the country, and that some powerful Taliban figures, including members of the Haqqani network, operate largely outside the framework of these orders.

The UN warned that the persistence of these dynamics could further destabilize Afghanistan and seriously undermine efforts to promote regional security and stability.