Afghan-Pakistani border tensions costing millions
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — The closure of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan is more than inconvenient; it is costly.
Officials on both sides of the border say in just one month, the closure has resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost trade, and tons of perishable goods have rotted in stranded trucks.
The two countries accuse the other of harbouring their militant enemies. Both countries deny the other’s charges. This longstanding tension reached a breaking point when Pakistan closed all border crossings on Feb. 16 after a string of brutal suicide attacks last month that killed more than 125 people. Islamabad claims the attacks were orchestrated from safe havens in Afghanistan.
Kabul too has been battered by horrific attacks, the latest a co-ordinated assault against a military hospital that killed more than 30 people.