PESHAWAR: Once brimming with combat boots, flak jackets and other war paraphernalia, the smugglers’ markets in Pakistan are being forced to rethink their business model as foreign troops exit Afghanistan and contraband dries up. Along the Afghan border after 2001, smugglers’ markets mushroomed in Pakistan, offering military gadgets, clothing and luxury goods meant for American bases and compounds. On the other side of the border, goods were similarly looted or lifted from the battlefield and taken across to Pakistan. Thanks to the porous border with Afghanistan, Pakistan has long been a magnet for smuggled products — from luxury vehicles to household goods. With little interference from law enforcement, the border markets flourished, but not all were happy.

Source: Pakistan Today August 10, 2021 13:29 UTC