The escalating conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan has severely disrupted the cross-border trade of essential food items, triggering widespread shortages and soaring prices across Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK). 

The week-long border closure has brought fruit and vegetable transport to a halt, choking one of the region’s critical supply lines.

Traders report that fresh produce such as tomatoes, onions, pomegranates, grapes, and apples—most of which were imported from Kabul—has vanished from the markets. The prolonged stagnation has resulted in widespread spoilage of perishable goods, intensifying the economic strain on local traders already burdened by Pakistan’s rising inflation.

Local vendor Hamza stated that tomatoes, once available at PKR 100 per kilogram, now cost around PKR 500. He complained that pomegranates and grapes have been left to rot while authorities continue to set unrealistic official rates, failing to reflect the actual cost of incoming goods amid the blockade. “We are losing thousands every month,” he said, decrying the administration’s approach.

Officials have set the retail price for tomatoes at PKR 390 per kilogram, a figure far below the prevailing market rate of roughly PKR 650. This price disparity has left traders unable to recover costs and consumers struggling to secure affordable produce. Many vendors have appealed for intervention to restore the flow of goods through the border crossings.

The crisis extends beyond PoK. Afghan traders, too, are suffering major losses as their shipments of fruits and vegetables perish in storage, unable to reach Pakistani markets. “Every day of the war adds to our losses,” said a trader based in Kabul, highlighting the mutual economic fallout of the conflict.

Economists and market observers warn that the continuing standoff could worsen Pakistan’s food insecurity at a time when inflation has already eroded household purchasing power. The Sabzi Mandi—the main wholesale market in PoK—has been among the hardest hit, with estimated daily business losses ranging between PKR 40,000 and PKR 2.5 lakh per trader.

What began as a geopolitical confrontation has now evolved into a full-blown economic and humanitarian crisis, underscoring how regional instability can cascade into domestic markets and affect ordinary citizens most severely.

Based On ANI Report