KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA [Pakistan], December 30 (ANI): Hundreds of daily-wage workers and porters in the region are facing severe financial hardship due to the continued closure of the Torkham border crossing, which has resulted in the loss of part-time employment, Dawn reported.
With no immediate resolution in sight to border security and terrorism-related concerns, many affected laborers are reportedly seeking work in Punjab and Sindh, while others have been forced to borrow money from relatives and friends to meet basic needs. The financial strain has become so acute that several families have stopped sending their children to school.
Some unemployed daily-wage workers and porters are also turning to drugs as a way to cope with mounting mental stress. Mansoor Ali, a 24-year-old porter, said poverty forced him to abandon his FSc computer science studies midway and take up work transporting luggage for Afghan and Pakistani travelers between the border point and the taxi stand for minimal wages.
Married for just eight months, Ali said sleepless nights and overwhelming anxiety have followed since he lost his job due to the border closure. According to the Dawn report, he spends hours in his small room worrying about his future, saying both Pakistani and Afghan authorities have overlooked the financial struggles of workers like him. He expressed a desire to resume his studies and pursue a career in computer science but said financial constraints have made that impossible. Ali added that he has already borrowed thousands of rupees from relatives to support his family’s day-to-day expenses.
Farman Ali Shinwari, a representative of the Torkham Labourers and Porters Association, warned that prolonged unemployment could push vulnerable youth toward extremist groups seeking to exploit their desperation. He said the current situation has also revived long-standing family and property disputes, as jobless youth remain idle at home for days and weeks, leading to rising tensions.
“We are also worried that some young tribesmen may end up becoming drug dealers, as narcotics traffickers offer them attractive pay,” Shinwari said.
According to Dawn, the difficulties faced by these largely unskilled workers date back to 2016, when Pakistan introduced a visa requirement for Afghan and Pakistani nationals traveling through the Torkham border. Nearly 8,000 local and Afghan laborers and porters have long sought permission for unrestricted cross-border movement but have been required to comply with stricter visa regulations.
Shinwari noted that most Afghan laborers remain stranded on the other side of the border, while local workers have gradually obtained passports and visas at costs beyond their financial capacity.
Israr Shinwari, head of a local youth organization that supports laborers with legal and economic challenges, said the number of such workers, including more than 100 individuals with disabilities, has dropped to around 2,000. “No one is willing to provide even manual work to these individuals who are already grappling with financial hardships,” he said, as quoted by Dawn.
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