Cargo moves at Iran border after halt

Cross-border commerce between Pakistan and Iran paused abruptly on October 17 when Islamabad suspended cargo traffic at the Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan crossings in Balochistan province. The suspension was justified by security risks in the region. On Monday, limited movement of goods began again as authorities processed backlogged shipments.

Mir Naveed Jan Kalmati, president of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, confirmed that trade partially resumed over the weekend. Border officials cleared consignments dated October 16 or earlier, according to goods truck association leaders. Pakistani exports, including rice and bananas, began crossing into Iran. Trucks that had loaded liquefied petroleum gas in Iran before the closure also entered Pakistan. Haji Noor Muhammad Shahwani, central president of the Balochistan Goods Truck Owners Association, noted that these pre-loaded vehicles were clearing slowly.

Customs agents reported that officials instructed them to file declarations for stranded trucks to release them. Rizwan Ahmed, a clearing agent near Gabd-Rimdan, stated that customs gave the go-ahead to bring in as much cargo as possible. His own shipment of rice, retail goods, potatoes, and bananas had just departed. However, Ahmed did not specify whether this permission applied to goods loaded after October 16.

Iranian authorities disputed the smoothness of the reopening. Reza Amiri Moghadam, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, stated on X that changes to Pakistan’s E-Form procedure for imports have made it difficult for traders to dispatch cargo. The E-Form is used to record imports and their payment through banks. A Commerce Ministry memorandum from October 16 withdrew a previous waiver that had eased these requirements. Moghadam said consultations were underway and noted that several hundred LPG trucks had crossed into Gabd but remained unloaded.

The initial closure occurred amid heightened security concerns. Gunmen attacked trucks near the Gabd crossing on Thursday. The military announced that ten attackers were killed in operations around Gabd and Gwadar, with one civilian death. Balochistan recorded 131 of the 225 armed attacks nationwide in September, the highest monthly total in twelve years according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. Deputy Commissioner Bakhtiar Ismail described the closure as a temporary measure to improve border management and support counterterrorism.

Sajjad Haider Khan, the foreign affairs spokesman, said Pakistan adheres to all applicable sanctions regimes. He did not specify whether the United States pressured Pakistan to close the border or confirm its current status. Imtiaz Baloch, a security analyst, suggested that US maximum pressure policies on Iran may have influenced the closure directly or indirectly through banking channels. He assessed that security, procedures, and the banking system all played a role in the disruption.

The Ministry of Commerce did not respond to requests for comment regarding the ongoing paperwork disputes.