The ongoing closure of border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan has triggered a surge in the prices of essential goods, with tomatoes becoming the most visible symbol of the economic fallout. Since the fighting broke out between the two neighbours earlier this month, tomato prices in Pakistan have skyrocketed fivefold, hitting consumers hard and exposing the deep interdependence of the two economies.

What led to the border closure?

The crisis began after intense border clashes erupted on October 11 along the disputed 2,600-kilometre frontier. The violence included Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan’s Paktika province, which killed dozens on both sides. It marked the worst escalation since the Taliban’s takeover of Kabul in 2021.

In response to the clashes, all border cross

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