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ISLAMABAD:&nbsp;Afghan traders are feeling the pinch as key trade crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan remain closed for the fourth consecutive day. Afghan state-owned channel Tolo News reported growing concerns over the impact on trade and economic activities due to the border closure. The Afghan Border Chamber of Commerce and Industry said the continued closure has caused &ldquo;significant delays for traders&rdquo; and urged the Afghan government to take &ldquo;urgent steps to resolve the issue.&rdquo; Pakistan&#39;s prime minister recently remarked that the responsibility now lies with the Afghan Taliban to establish a lasting ceasefire. This statement came after a 48-hour ceasefire was declared &nbsp;on Wednesday in response to deadly clashes across the border. Several critical crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan, such as Spin Boldak, have been shut down. On Wednesday, the Pakistani military&#39;s media wing, ISPR, reported that their security forces thwarted another assault by the Afghan Taliban along the Balochistan border, resulting in the deaths of approximately 15 to 20 Taliban fighters. The ISPR stated that the &ldquo;cowardly&rdquo; strikes occurred at four different spots near Spin Boldak during the early morning hours. The Pakistani troops countered these offensives effectively, inflicting casualties and injuries on the attackers. Hostilities initially erupted on the night of October 11-12, 2025, when the Afghan Taliban, alongside an India-supported group, launched an unprovoked assault on Pakistani forces along the border. Islamabad has long maintained that Kabul must halt its support for militants from Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan. The conflict worsened late Saturday night, with 23 Pakistani soldiers killed and, according to ISPR, around 200 Taliban and allied militants killed during an attack originating from the Afghan side. This marks the most intense violence since early October.

Residents ride a loaded truck of belongings, as they flee the area, following exchanges of fire between Pakistan and Afghanistan forces, at the border crossing in Chaman, Balochistan province, Pakistan, October 15, 2025. (REUTERS)

Afghanistan

Afghan traders feel the pinch as key border crossings with Pakistan remain closed amid escalating clashes, disrupting trade for the fourth consecutive day and escalating regional tensions.

Afghan traders feel the pinch as borders with Pakistan remain closed

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan&#39;s prime minister said on Thursday that &quot;the ball is in the Afghan Taliban&#39;s court&quot; for a permanent ceasefire, a day after a 48-hour truce was called in the wake of deadly cross-border clashes. &quot;If in 48 hours they want to resolve the issues and address our genuine demands, then we are ready for them,&quot; Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told his cabinet, reiterating that Pakistani Taliban militants should be eliminated and that Afghan territory not be used to plot attacks. The remarks came a day after the 48-hour ceasefire was announced, following a week of violence along the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier in which dozens of troops and civilians were killed on both sides. Pakistan is facing a resurgence of attacks against its security forces on its western border with Afghanistan, led by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its affiliates. Islamabad has condemned&nbsp;Kabul of harbouring militant groups led by the TTP on its soil, a claim Kabul denies. Tensions spiked last week when explosions struck Afghan territory, including the capital, which Taliban officials blamed on Pakistan.&nbsp;Afghan Taliban forces launched an offensive near the border in response, prompting Islamabad to vow a strong retaliation. The temporary ceasefire, which came into effect at 6 pm Islamabad time (1300 GMT) on Wednesday, was aimed at halting the bloodshed and opening a window for talks. Pakistan has repeatedly called on the Taliban to stop militant groups from using Afghan territory as a staging ground for cross-border attacks since the Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021.

Taliban security personnel on a Soviet-era tank are followed by motorcyclists as they ride towards the border, as clashes take place between Taliban security personnel and Pakistani border forces, in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar Province on Octobe

Security

Pakistan's PM said the Afghan Taliban must ensure a permanent ceasefire after deadly border clashes; Islamabad demands TTP elimination and no Afghan soil for attacks

Articles tagged with "Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)"

Afghan traders feel the pinch as borders with Pakistan remain closed

Pakistan PM says 'ball in Afghan Taliban's court' for permanent ceasefire

Afghan traders feel the pinch as borders with Pakistan remain closed