Imagine your primary highway vanishing overnight—that’s the nightmare unfolding for Pakistan’s trade sector. The most economical land passage, pivotal for daily commerce, stands blocked, unleashing a cascade of disruptions.
Trucks that zipped through in hours now crawl alternative paths fraught with perils. Costs have leaped, efficiency plummeted, and businesses confront a grim reality. A Peshawar exporter shares, ‘Margins were thin; now they’re razor-sharp or gone.’
The root lies in escalating border disputes, turning a trade artery into a no-go zone. Options like air cargo are prohibitively expensive, while detours via rugged landscapes chew up fuel and time. Trade bodies warn of job losses numbering in the thousands if unresolved.
Government officials tout emergency funding for new corridors and tech upgrades, yet skepticism abounds amid past delays. On the ground, SMEs pivot desperately, some eyeing partnerships abroad to bypass the impasse.
Long-term, this upheaval could redefine Pakistan’s position in regional trade blocs. Building redundant routes and digital tracking might mitigate risks, but urgency is key. In the world of global markets, stagnation is the real enemy—Pakistan must accelerate to reclaim momentum.