Background:
In a November 30, 2020 statement by the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul, Pakistan announced that it would establish 12 Joint Trade Markets (JTM) along the international border in conjunction with Afghanistan in an effort to “pro-mote the well-being of the people living on both sides of the Durand Line [the late 19th-century, British-drawn border], rehabilitate those affected by anti-smuggling drive[s], economically integrate the neglected areas, formalize bilateral trade and transform local economies.” The first JTM is scheduled to open in February 2021 at Shaheedano Dand in Kurram Tribal District in northwestern Pakistan as a pilot project.