Pakistan Resumes Limited Trade With Iran as Paperwork Disputes Persist
Freight traffic restarted at Balochistan crossings on October 19, but Iranian officials cite new electronic form requirements that continue to stall outbound shipments.
By Olivia Miller ·
Pakistan and Iran share a long border that typically sees hundreds of freight vehicles crossing daily, but a security suspension began on October 17. The halt affected the Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan crossings in Balochistan province. Limited cargo movement resumed on Monday, October 19, according to local trade leaders.
Mir Naveed Jan Kalmati, president of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated that trade partially resumed over the weekend. Border officials confirmed that consignments dated October 16 or earlier were cleared for movement. Haji Noor Muhammad Shahwani, central president of the Balochistan Goods Truck Owners Association, reported that Pakistani exports including rice and bananas are currently crossing the border.
Trucks loaded in Iran prior to the closure, specifically those carrying liquefied petroleum gas, are also entering Pakistan. Shahwani noted that these vehicles are moving slowly. The suspension of Iranian LPG supplies caused shortages and price increases in Pakistan, a nation that imports most of its energy from the Middle East. The domestic economy is already strained by shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz linked to the conflict between Iran and the United States and Israel.
Rizwan Ahmed, a customs clearing agent near Gabd-Rimdan, said customs authorities instructed agents to file declarations for stranded trucks to release them. Ahmed described the directive as allowing agents to bring in as much cargo as possible, though he did not clarify if this applied to goods loaded after October 16. He confirmed his own export consignment of rice, potatoes, and retail goods had just departed.
Iranian officials argue that new import paperwork rules are the primary obstacle to full trade resumption. Reza Amiri Moghadam, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, stated on X on Sunday that Iran had placed no restrictions on exports. He wrote that changes to the implementation of Pakistan’s E-Form procedure have made it difficult for traders to dispatch cargo. The E-Form, or EIF, is a document used to record imports and bank payments.
The timing of the closure fueled speculation that the United States pressured Pakistan to tighten economic sanctions on Iran. Islamabad maintained the step was necessary due to deteriorating security in Balochistan. Gunmen attacked trucks near the Gabd crossing on Thursday, and the military reported killing 10 attackers in operations around Gabd and Gwadar city. One civilian died in the incident.
Balochistan recorded 131 of the 225 armed attacks nationwide in September, the highest monthly total in 12 years according to the Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies. Sajjad Haider Khan, a Foreign Affairs spokesman, said Pakistan adheres to applicable sanctions regimes. He noted he did not have direct knowledge of the ground situation and did not confirm US pressure. A Commerce Ministry memorandum from October 16 withdrew a previous waiver on the E-Form for Iranian imports, effective immediately.
Shahwani suggested banking issues might be delaying the unloading of several hundred LPG trucks at Gabd. Bakhtiar Ismail, deputy commissioner of Chagai, described the closure as a temporary measure for border management and counterterrorism. Security analyst Imtiaz Baloch observed that US maximum pressure policies likely influenced the decision directly or indirectly, though no official statement linked the closure explicitly to US economic policy.
