Pakistan Lawmaker Warns Border Closures with Afghanistan Threaten Peshawar Industry

DID Press: A senior Pakistani lawmaker has warned that prolonged closure of border crossings with Afghanistan is pushing the industrial sector of Peshawar toward a serious economic crisis, arguing that cross-border trade is essential for the region’s survival.

Asad Qaiser, a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly, criticized government trade restrictions during a parliamentary session, saying continued border closures have dealt a heavy blow to Peshawar’s economy and industrial base.

He stressed that Afghanistan remains the only viable route for industrial and commercial expansion in the region, adding that restricting trade with Afghanistan amounts to blocking Peshawar’s economic development.

Qaiser further accused the government of economic discrimination, noting that cities such as Lahore and Karachi maintain trade relations with India while Peshawar is deprived of its natural commercial link with Afghanistan.

He warned that if border crossings remain closed, the economic consequences for Peshawar would be “severe and irreversible.”