Torkham’s importance for CPEC

According to a Dawn analysis, the Torkham crossing has become a key test for China-Pakistan Economic Corridor plans to extend into Afghanistan. CPEC 2.0, confirmed in 2025, includes a westward road extension from Torkham to Kabul under an Action Plan running through 2029. Clashes in October 2025 nearly closed the crossing, and by February 2026 the shutdown had lasted more than three months.

The article says Pakistan has no practical alternative for Central Asian trade, which has historically passed almost entirely through Afghanistan, citing data from Carec and the Asian Development Bank. Afghanistan's exports to Central Asia rose from $122 million in 2024 to $216 million in 2025, a shift the piece attributes to traders doubting Pakistani transit. Border clearance time rose 15 per cent in a single year to 38 hours even before the October 2025 closure, according to the same Carec report.

The writer urges a standing protocol for pre-cleared commercial cargo, full customs digitisation and extra crossing capacity at Chaman before more money goes into the Afghan extension. The article argues that CPEC 2.0's stated shift toward reliability will be tested at the border.