KHYBER: The weeklong closure of Torkham border has resulted in billions of rupees losses to the exchequer as well as traders and transporters, with officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan yet to resolve the thorny issue of border modification on either side.

Customs officials, exporters and importers told Dawn that the daily export volume in recent weeks had jacked up to $1.5 million, while the country was earning around Rs 540 million as the bilateral trade had witnessed a rapid surge since late January.

They insisted that losses incurred due to closure of the border since last Friday could have been translated to a similaramount of profit had the two countries been able to timely resolve political issues and avoid unnecessary closure of the border,much to the discomfort of local traders and transporters.

The officials and exporters said that they were quite upbeat about the healthy increase in the quantum of trade between the two countries but their `celebrations` proved to be short-lived when the border was closed on the night of Feb 21 after border security officials reacted sharply to the renovation of a border checkpost on the Afghan side.

In response, Afghan border officials accused the Pakistani side of fixing a new signboard close to the border crossing without informing them about the changeinthe borderstructure.

Since then, the Torkham border crossing has been closed for all types of cross-border activities, with only exception of allowing bodies of eight Afghans, who had died in Pakistan, to be taken to Afghanistan on February 22.Border security officials of both countries had met only once since then while failing to reach an agreement to reopen the border, to the disappointment of the customs and immigration officials who had called back their staff members in anticipation of border reopening.

Meanwhile, Khyber Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Yousaf Afridi has called for separating politics from trade with an immediate focus on enhancing trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Talking to reporters in Landi Kotal, Mr Afridi said that the weeklong closure of Torkham border had caused losses to the tune of millions of dollars to both the national exchequer and local traders and transporters.

He said that nowhere in the world were borders closed on such small political issues with focus always on trade between bordering countries and cordial trading relations.

Mr Afridi said Afghanistan, being a neighbour of Pakistan,had huge potential for exports of our indigenous products as these products were most accepted in the Afghan markets.

`Unfortunately, we are fast losing the Afghan market for our products due to flawed and complex policies as well as due to repeated and prolonged closure of border over pity issues,` he said.

Calling for the formation of a joint council for promotion of trade and resolution of political issues, the chamber leader stressed the need for a meaningful dialogue to settle such issues once and for all.

He said that in order to enhance bilateral trade, both governments should work on formulating a 10-year trade policy as part of a long-term trading and business policywith Afghanistan.

`The weeklong border closure is badly affecting local traders and transporters, while ordinary citizens, too, are facing an uncertain situation as they`re anxiously waiting on both sides of the border,` he said.