Karachi, Nov. 20 -- A sharp spike in fruit prices has gripped parts of Pakistan following the closure of the Afghanistan border, leaving low-income households struggling to afford even basic produce. With supply routes disrupted and local markets running dry, fruit vendors say the crisis has exposed not only the country's heavy dependence on Afghan imports but also deep governance failures that allow profiteering to flourish.

According to vendors, the situation worsened rapidly after the border was sealed. They explain that a significant share of the region's fruit supply traditionally enters Pakistan from Afghanistan. Once the border shut, trucks stopped arriving and the markets were "empty."

As a result, prices doubled almost overnigh...