New Delhi, Aug. 30 -- For six decades, Pakistan's maritime ports served as a primary lifeline for landlocked Afghanistan. Karachi and Port Qasim became essential to Afghanistan's trade. Through the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) and the twin arteries of Torkham and Chaman, Pakistan governed how goods moved duty-free from ships to trucks.

It is imperative to mention that Pakistani ports on the Arabian Sea offer the shortest and most cost-effective overland route for Afghan imports. Fuel, construction materials, pharmaceutical products, wheat and other essential goods important to Afghanistan entered the country through these southern corridors.

Additionally, Afghan agricultural exports, such as fresh and dried fruit...