Pakistan Suspends Iran Trade Corridors: Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan Crossings Shut Over Security, Smuggling Concerns

GWADAR/QUETTA: Pakistan has suspended trade with Iran through the official Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan border crossings over security and smuggling concerns, it emerged on Saturday, with hundreds of freight vehicles stranded on both sides of the border, Dawn reported.

Main News Report

The Ministry of Commerce issued a memorandum on Friday, seen by Dawn, withdrawing its earlier order No. 9(3)2017-Iran dated October 3 with immediate effect — formally suspending commercial movement through the two crossings.

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, Rind refuted "rumours being spread on social media" about the closure and urged the public not to pay attention to unverified information. He stressed the move was "necessary to improve the security situation and administrative affairs on both sides of the border", adding that progress continued between senior officials of both countries to resolve administrative issues.

"In the context of the current progress, the Pak-Iran border is likely to reopen soon," Rind said, adding that a coordinated system was being established to improve border affairs and prevent smuggling.

Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei also described the closure as temporary, according to Iran's state-run Irna news agency — though he attributed it to "technical issues" and said the two countries were in consultations to resolve the problem and restore normal operations.

• What is closed: commercial trade through the Gabd-Rimdan (250) and Taftan border crossings.
• What stays open: passenger traffic through the Rimdan–Gabd crossing remains operational, according to the Iran-based Wana news agency, which quoted Syed Hossein Hosseini, director general of the Iranian Transit Office, as saying commercial operations at the crossing had been halted.
• Stranded cargo: hundreds of freight vehicles carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), rice, fresh fruit and other essential commodities have reportedly been stranded on both sides of the border.
• Trade advisory: 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; sources said Pakistani and Iranian authorities had made initial contact following the closure.

Background Context

The Gabd-Rimdan crossing had become a major route for meeting Pakistan's energy needs, with over 4,000 tonnes of LPG reportedly imported daily through it. Exports of Pakistani products, particularly rice, had also surged in recent months, generating millions of dollars in foreign exchange.

The Taftan route was already facing disruptions amid unrest in Balochistan, Dawn noted — meaning the suspension of supplies through Gabd-Rimdan removes the main alternative channel for cross-border energy and food trade.

Since March this year, Islamabad and Tehran had rolled out a series of measures to facilitate border trade, including easing customs procedures, formalising Taftan as a customs station, and notifying new transit routes — against the backdrop of the ongoing US-Iran war that has strained economies in the region and beyond.

In early August, an Iranian delegation led by Trade and Industry Minister Mohammad Atabak visited Islamabad for the 10th session of the Pak–Iran Joint Trade Committee. The delegation also met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, with both sides agreeing to expand trade ties by keeping border crossings open round the clock, improving logistics and harmonising customs procedures.

The visit came a couple of months after it was reported that trade between Pakistan and Iran through the Gabd-Rimdan border crossing had come to a complete halt. According to Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Jiand Hoot, trade through the Panjgur and Mand-Radig border crossings was virtually non-existent because of poor road infrastructure and recurring incidents of arson and vehicle burnings.

Reactions and Statements

Shahid Rind's remarks set the official tone in Quetta: the closure is temporary, administrative and security-driven, and the border is "likely to reopen soon" once a coordinated system is in place.

Tehran's framing was subtly different. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei called the closure temporary but pointed to "technical issues", saying the two countries were in consultations to resolve the problem — language that stops short of endorsing the security-and-smuggling rationale.

Business reacted with alarm. The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry's advisory to halt new orders signals that traders expect the disruption to last. Sources in the trade and energy sector warned that the closure could aggravate LPG shortages in Karachi and other parts of the country, and push up LPG prices in the open market.

Local traders and the chamber have warned that the disruption could cause substantial losses to the national exchequer, jeopardise livelihoods, and trigger an energy crisis.

Why This News Matters

For ordinary Pakistanis, the most immediate risk is energy. More than 4,000 tonnes of LPG crossed at Gabd-Rimdan every day — a volume that directly feeds kitchens and businesses, particularly in Karachi and the south. With Taftan already disrupted, traders fear open-market LPG prices could climb in the coming days.

For the economy, the suspension threatens two income streams at once: cheaper energy imports and rice exports that have been generating millions of dollars in foreign exchange. Each day of closure means lost revenue for the exchequer and mounting costs for traders with cargo stuck at the border.

For the region, the closure marks a sharp reversal from August's optimism, when Islamabad and Tehran agreed to keep crossings open round the clock. It also lands amid the wider US-Iran confrontation, which has already strained regional energy markets — a reminder of how quickly trade corridors can become collateral in larger geopolitical pressures.

Future Developments

Whether the border reopens soon, as Shahid Rind has suggested — and whether the promised coordinated system to prevent smuggling is actually put in place.

The outcome of the consultations between Pakistani and Iranian officials on the "technical issues" cited by Tehran, and whether a joint statement follows.

Any formal statement from the federal Ministry of Commerce on the duration of the suspension and relief measures for stranded traders.

Movement in LPG prices in the open market over the coming week, particularly in Karachi, which will be the first real test of the shortage warnings.

Whether passenger traffic through Rimdan–Gabd remains unaffected, and whether the closure spills over into other border trade channels such as Panjgur and Mand-Radig.

#Pakistan #PakistanNews #Iran #Trade #BreakingNews #Balochistan #Economy #LPG