- Key trade gate:
The Attari (India)–Wagah (Pakistan) land crossing, 28 km from Amritsar, is the only official road link for goods between the two countries and for Indian trade with Afghanistan. - Big money moves through here:
In 2023‑24, goods worth roughly ₹3,886 crore passed through this border. - What India sends out:
Soybean, chicken, meat, fresh vegetables, red chillies, plastic pellets and more. - What India receives:
Dry fruit, dates, gypsum, glassware, rock salt and medicinal herbs from Pakistan and Afghanistan. - If the gate closes:
- All these imports and exports stop overnight.
- Indian exporters lose a ready market; Pakistani and Afghan suppliers lose an easy buyer.
- Medical travellers suffer: about 71,500 Pakistanis crossed here in 2023‑24 for treatment in India, and they would have to look for costlier or slower alternatives (e.g., flying via a third country).
In short, shutting the Attari–Wagah checkpoint would freeze a ₹3,800‑crore trade lifeline, hit farmers and small businesses on both sides, and make medical travel for Pakistanis much harder.