Pakistan suspends trade with Iran over security concerns
Pakistan has suspended trade with Iran through the Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan crossings, stranding hundreds of freight vehicles as officials on both sides call the halt temporary.
Pakistan has suspended trade with Iran through the Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan border crossings, it emerged on Saturday, after the Ministry of Commerce issued a memorandum on Friday withdrawing its earlier order No. 9(3)2017-Iran of 3 October with immediate effect, Dawn reported.
Shahid Rind, adviser to the Balochistan chief minister on media and political affairs, said the “purpose of the temporary closure of the Pak-Iran border is to address security concerns, prevent smuggling, and make the border system more effective”. In a statement on X, he refuted “rumours being spread on social media” about the closure and said the border was “likely to reopen soon”.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei likewise called the closure temporary, attributing it to “technical issues” and saying the two countries were in consultations to resolve the problem and restore normal operations, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency via Dawn.
The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry has advised its members and businesses trading with Iran to stop placing new import and export orders until further notice. Hundreds of freight vehicles carrying liquefied petroleum gas, rice, fresh fruit and other essential commodities are reported stranded on both sides of the border.
The Gabd-Rimdan crossing had been carrying more than 4,000 tonnes of LPG into Pakistan daily, and trade and energy sector sources warned the closure could aggravate LPG shortages and push up prices in Karachi and other parts of the country, Dawn reported.
Sources
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