Pak-Iran N-40 Highway remains closed for ninth day amid protest in Nushki

• Supply of LPG gas to Punjab, Sindh from Iran suspended due to road closure.
• Protesters break windows of car attempting to use alternative route in Nushki
• Torkham border between Pakistan, Afghanistan remains shut for 16th day.
  

The N-40 National Highway, which serves as the main trade route between Pakistan and Iran, remained closed for the ninth consecutive day as the families of 10 missing youths from Kardgap continued to protest in Noshki. 

The road closure has severed the country's land connection with Iran and disrupted travel between Noshki, Rakhshan Division, and Quetta. Additionally, the supply of LPG gas to Punjab and Sindh has been suspended due to road closure.

Protesters also broke the windows of a car attempting to use an alternative route.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan-Afghan Torkham border also remained closed for the 16th day due to tensions between the two countries, Customs authorities said on Sunday.

The closure, triggered by tensions over construction in disputed areas, has severely impacted cross-border movement, while all kinds of trade are also suspended between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

According to customs officials, the halt in trade over the past 16 days has resulted in an estimated loss of $3 million on a daily basis. The immigration authorities further revealed that nearly 10,000 people cross the Torkham border daily, with the closure leaving thousands stranded on both sides.

The Torkham border was closed on Saturday (February 22) for all kinds of movement after tension escalated between Pakistani and Afghan forces over the construction of a bunker by the latter near Zero-Point.

According to security sources, Afghan forces attempted to build a bunker in a disputed area near the border, prompting Pakistan’s Frontier Corps (FC) to respond.

Both sides have reinforced their positions and Pakistani authorities relocated customs, immigration and police officials from Torkham Bazaar to Landikotal as a precautionary measure. Both sides have taken defensive positions, heightening fears of armed clash.

The Torkham crossing, a vital trade route, frequently faces such disruptions, severely impacting economic activities in both countries.

The development comes against the backdrop of increased terrorist incidents in Pakistan which Islamabad has time and again blamed on outlawed groups based in Kabul.

The two nations share a porous border spanning around 2,500 kilometres with several crossing points which hold significance as a key element of regional trade and relations between the people across both sides of the fence.

However, the issue of terrorism remains a key issue for Pakistan which has urged Afghanistan to prevent its soil from being used by groups such as the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to carry out attacks inside the former’s territory.

Islamabad’s reservations have also been confirmed by a report submitted to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team, which has revealed a nexus between Kabul and the TTP with the former providing logistical, operational and financial support to the latter.