Pakistan Moves Cargo After Nine-Day Border Halt

Pakistan resumed limited cargo traffic across its border with Iran on Monday, ending a nine-day suspension that began on October 17. The halt, which affected the Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan crossings in Balochistan province, had been justified by Islamabad as a security measure. Mir Naveed Jan Kalmati, president of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, confirmed that trade partially resumed over the weekend.

Border officials released consignments dated October 16 or earlier, according to goods truck association representatives. Haji Noor Muhammad Shahwani, central president of the Balochistan Goods Truck Owners Association, reported from Quetta that Pakistani exports, including rice and bananas, were crossing into Iran. He also noted that trucks loaded with liquefied petroleum gas in Iran prior to the closure were entering Pakistan, though he described the flow as slow.

The suspension of Iranian LPG supplies caused severe shortages and price spikes in Pakistan, a country that imports most of its energy from the Middle East. The economic strain coincides with shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz resulting from the conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel. Rizwan Ahmed, a customs clearing agent near the Gabd-Rimdan crossing, stated that customs authorities instructed agents to file declarations for stranded trucks. Ahmed said his own shipment of rice, retail goods, potatoes, and bananas had just departed.

Iranian officials dispute that the border is fully open, citing administrative hurdles. Reza Amiri Moghadam, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, posted on X on Sunday that changes to Pakistan’s E-Form procedure for imports have left traders unable to dispatch cargo. The E-Form, used to record imports and bank payments, was subject to a waiver extended on October 3. A memorandum from the Pakistani Ministry of Commerce dated October 16, reviewed by Al Jazeera, withdrew that waiver immediately, creating a procedural backlog.

Moghadam stated that Iran had placed no restrictions on exports, including LPG, and that consultations with Pakistan were under way. He cited reports that several hundred LPG trucks had crossed into Gabd but remained unloaded due to banking issues. Shahwani agreed, suggesting the delay involved international trade banking protocols. Meanwhile, Pakistani military forces killed 10 gunmen who attacked trucks near the Gabd crossing on Thursday. One civilian also died in the operations around Gabd and Gwadar city.

Balochistan recorded 131 armed attacks in September, the highest monthly total in 12 years, according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. Sajjad Haider Khan, a spokesman for Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the country adheres to applicable sanctions regimes but did not confirm whether the United States pressured Islamabad to close the border. Bakhtiar Ismail, deputy commissioner of Chagai, described the closure as a temporary measure for border management and counterterrorism. The Ministry of Commerce did not respond to requests for comment.