Pakistan reopens border with Iran:Bilateral-trade to resume after week-long suspension amid LPG shortages

Pakistan has reopened a key border crossing with Iran to resume bilateral trade and cross-border movement after a week-long suspension that left freight vehicles stranded, disrupted supplies and raised concerns over LPG shortages ahead of winter. Trade operations resumed on Saturday at the Gabd-Rimdan crossing in Balochistan’s Gwadar district. Border officials allowed commercial consignments accompanied by consignment notes dated October 16 or earlier to cross, Dawn reported. Mir Naveed Jan Kalmati, president of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, confirmed that the crossing, also known as Gate 250, had reopened. “Pakistan has opened the border with Iran at Gabd-Rimdan and allowed trucks and other vehicles to move towards Iran and Pakistan with import and export goods,” Kalmati said. Welcoming the decision, he said the resumption of cross-border trade would provide immediate relief to traders and transporters stranded on both sides. He added that restoring the supply chain was expected to ease Pakistan’s nationwide LPG shortage and help bring down soaring energy and food prices. Suspension followed by attack on stranded trucks Pakistan’s Commerce Ministry suspended cross-border trade and movement on October 17. Although the ministry did not specify the reason, the decision was believed to be linked to security concerns. The suspension disrupted LPG supplies as demand for the fuel rises with the onset of winter. An attack on freight vehicles stranded near the crossing followed. On Thursday, unidentified gunmen targeted parked trucks, setting dozens ablaze and damaging several others. The border reopened after local administrators reviewed the security situation and deployed additional forces to protect trade convoys. Reopening follows Pakistan Army chief’s visit to Iran The reopening came days after Pakistan Army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Iran, where he held talks with the Iranian leadership on bilateral relations and regional issues. Pakistan and Iran share a 909-km border between Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province and Pakistan’s Balochistan province. The crossings serve as important routes for bilateral trade and the movement of goods across the region. Iran says exports to Pakistan face no restrictions Iran’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, said on Sunday that Iran had imposed no restrictions on exports to Pakistan, including LPG, and that its borders with all neighbouring countries remained open. He said changes to Pakistan’s E-Form procedure for imports from Iran had left traders “effectively and literally unable to dispatch cargo from Iran to Pakistan”. Consultations with Pakistani officials were under way to resolve the issue. Moghadam also said several hundred trucks carrying LPG had crossed the Rimdan border into Gabd on the Pakistani side but had remained there for weeks without being unloaded or cleared. This had complicated the movement of goods and bilateral trade. Describing cross-border trade as an integral part of bilateral agreements reached at the highest levels, he said Iran remained committed to facilitating the movement of goods and strengthening economic cooperation with Pakistan.