THE ISSUE OF PAK-AFGHAN BORDER CLOSURE: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE STAKEHOLDERS

Abstract

The recent repatriation of the Afghan refugees to their parent country has been of great concern to the governments of Pakistan and the Afghan refugees. Delaying tactics and unwilling attitude of the refuges has exacerbated the security situation between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Consequently, the government of Pakistan has to close the Pak-Afghan border for its national interest and security concerns but the closure of border has created great problems for the people of both the countries; encompassing the farming class dependent on border trade, the business community, the students community and the people tied by blood and joint business enterprises across both sides of the border. The landlocked nature of Afghanistan has adversely affected the entire economy of Afghanistan since the use of Iranian routes for business purposes costs much to the treasury of Afghan people. This article aims at analyzing the issue of the closure of the Pak-Afghan border and resultant implications for the stakeholders.