Summary：**Clearing Agents Plead for Urgent Reopening of Torkham Border** *Summary:* Clearing agents operati

**Clearing Agents Plead for Urgent Reopening of Torkham Border**

*Summary:* Clearing agents operating at the Torkham checkpoint are calling for the immediate resumption of cross‑border traffic after a prolonged closure disrupted Pakistan‑Afghanistan trade. Read more: Full report.

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### Introduction
The Torkham border crossing, a vital gateway for goods moving between Pakistan and Afghanistan, has remained largely shut since early 2024 due to security concerns and administrative delays. Stakeholders in the logistics sector warn that the continued blockade is inflicting severe economic damage on both nations, particularly on small‑and‑medium enterprises reliant on timely shipments of textiles, agricultural produce, and construction materials.

### Key Developments
Clearing agents—private firms responsible for customs clearance and freight forwarding—have intensified their appeals to authorities on both sides of the Durand Line. In a joint statement issued on 2 November, the Pakistan Freight Forwarders Association (PFFA) and the Afghanistan Customs Agents Union (ACAU) highlighted that average clearance times have ballooned from under six hours to more than three days, causing demurrage charges to spike by 40 %. Recent talks between Pakistani customs officials and Afghan transit authorities yielded only a tentative agreement to allow limited humanitarian convoys, leaving commercial traffic largely at a standstill.

### Industry