Pakistan-Iran border trade partially resumes after nine-day halt

Freight trucks began crossing the Pakistan-Iran border on Monday, ending a nine-day suspension of cargo traffic that started on October 17. The movement marks a partial resumption of trade after Islamabad halted shipments through the Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan crossings in Balochistan province.

Mir Naveed Jan Kalmati, president of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated that trade partially resumed over the weekend. Border officials cleared consignments dated October 16 or earlier, according to goods truck association officials. Pakistani exports, including rice, bananas, potatoes, and retail goods, began crossing the border, while Iranian liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) trucks loaded before the closure started entering Pakistan.

Haji Noor Muhammad Shahwani, central president of the Balochistan Goods Truck Owners Association, confirmed that previously loaded trucks were clearing slowly. Rizwan Ahmed, a customs clearing agent near the Gabd-Rimdan crossing, said customs officials instructed agents to file declarations for stranded trucks. "Customs has given us the go-ahead, saying, 'Bring in as much cargo as you can,'" Ahmed said. He noted that his own consignment had just departed.

The closure was initially justified by Pakistan as a response to security risks. On October 22, gunmen attacked trucks waiting near the Gabd crossing. The military reported killing 10 attackers in operations around Gabd and Gwadar city, with one civilian killed. Balochistan accounted for 131 of the 225 armed attacks recorded nationwide in September, the highest monthly total in 12 years, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies.

Bakhtiar Ismail, the deputy commissioner of Chagai, wrote on X on October 18 that the closure was a temporary measure to support counterterrorism efforts. However, Iran disputed the timeline of the reopening due to administrative changes. Reza Amiri Moghadam, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, said on X on October 25 that Iran had placed no restrictions on exports. He argued that changes to Pakistan's E-Form procedure for imports made it difficult for traders to dispatch cargo.

A memorandum from Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce, dated October 16, withdrew a previous waiver on the E-Form for imports from Iran. The E-Form is used to record imports and bank payments. Moghadam stated that several hundred LPG trucks had crossed into Gabd but remained unloaded due to these technical issues. Shahwani suggested the delay might involve banking problems related to international trade.

The halt in trade caused severe LPG shortages and price spikes in Pakistan. The country imports much of its energy from the Middle East, and its economy has already faced disruptions from shipping issues in the Strait of Hormuz. Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Sajjad Haider Khan said on October 23 that Pakistan would adhere to applicable sanctions regimes. He did not specify whether the United States had pressured Pakistan to close the border.

Analysts suggest the closure involves multiple factors. Imtiaz Baloch, a security analyst, noted that US maximum pressure policies on Iran may have influenced the decision directly or indirectly through banking channels. "My assessment is that security is part of it, procedures or technical glitches are part of it and the banking system is also involved," Baloch said. The Ministry of Commerce did not respond to requests for comment.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei cited technical issues for the delay. The Pakistani military continues operations around the border area. Trade is expected to continue in a limited capacity as officials work to resolve the E-Form discrepancies and clear the backlog of vehicles.