CHITRAL: With the completion of a 190-kilometre road from Afghanistan’s Panjshir province to the Shah Salim border, efforts are now underway to widen and upgrade the connecting road on the Chitral side to facilitate formal trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan through this historic route, official sources said.
Though a narrow path from Chitral to Shah Salim border has existed since the days of the Afghan war, trade along this route was previously informal and unregulated. During that time, a significant commercial activity took place between Chitral and the Afghan provinces of Badakhshan and Panjshir, involving goods worth millions of rupees.
Now, according to sources, the border is expected to be officially opened for legal trade, marking a welcome shift in regional connectivity.
The local businessmen from Garam Chashma and Afghan traders residing in the area expressed strong support for the move.
“If this trade route becomes operational, it will be a game-changer for the people of Chitral as well as Badakhshan and Panjshir,” said Syed Muhammad, a trader from Afghanistan.
“Transporting goods from Kabul or Panjshir to Chitral is far costlier and time-consuming than using this direct route. With Chitral now more accessible, traders will prefer it for both import and export,” he added. He maintained that once the route was formalised, hundreds of shops were likely to reopen in places like Gabor.
The local people said the initiative would not only benefit Chitral but also contribute to economic revitalisation in Afghanistan’s northern provinces.
The traders said that Badakhshan and Panjshir could send precious stones, livestock and other goods to Chitral, while Pakistani goods such as food items, construction materials and textiles could find a thriving market across the border.