Chaman (Pakistan) (AFP) – The Taliban’s capture of a key Afghan-Pakistan border post has hiked trucking costs between the two countries, with insurgents and government officials taxing traders for their goods and demanding bribes to allow them through. Thousands of vehicles cross daily from Chaman in southwestern Pakistan to Spin Boldak on the other side, carrying goods destined for Kandahar, Afghanistan’s second-biggest city. The insurgents have captured a vast swath of the country since early May after launching a series of offensives to capitalise on the final stages of the withdrawal of foreign troops.
