Pakistan Border Trade

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Taliban take over border crossings with Pakistan; Cargo trucks allowed to cross

Sun, 15 Aug 2021,

ISLAMABAD, Aug 15 (APP): As Taliban blitzkreg towards Kabul headed towards its logical conclusion, the border crossings of Afghanistan with neighbouring countries also fell into their control, and local commanders took over the administrative affairs.

The change of hands at the borders came as reports came of Ashraf Ghani’s exit from Kabul via a chartered flight. Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, in a video on his Facebook page made the announcement. An Interior Ministry official said Ghani had left for Tajikistan.

The US embassy staff were also scambling to get evacuated as the Kabul International airport came under fire from unknown assailants and chaotic scenes were witnessed.

The Taliban officials took over the control of the Torkham border – the largest crossing with Pakistan, Sunday morning, after the fall of Jalalabad. Pakistan, which had replaced the paramilitary forces along the border with the regular army troops immediately closed the crossing.

According to Afghan journalist Ahmad Mukhtar Governor Nangarhar handed over control to the Taliban on the assurance that no government property would be damaged. He also posted a video showing the Taliban leaders having a breakfast at the Nangarhar Governor House in Jalalabad.

 

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Pak-Afghan bilateral trade witnesses improvement

https://nation.com.pk/NewsSource/web-desk
Web Desk
12:13 PM | August 26, 2021


The Pak-Afghan bilateral trade has witnessed signs of improvement in the evolving situation in the region.

Former senior Vice President of Pak-Afghan joint chamber of commerce and industry (PAJCCI) Zia-ul-Haq Sarhadi, said Taliban, after taking over, has taken a number of pro-commercial measures ensuing in trade enhancement between the two countries.

While revealing details of measures which favored improvement in trade between the two neighbouring countries, Zia said Taliban leadership focused on ease of doing business by revoking unnecessary documentation in processing of goods laden trucks.

He revealed that trucks full of fresh fruits including grapes, honeydew melon, coal, dry fruits are coming to Pakistan and in the same way trucks carrying construction material and other goods are going to Afghanistan.

 

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Pakistan, Afghanistan trade soars following Taliban takeover


September 15, 2021

Exporters from Pakistan have resumed supplying goods to Afghanistan after more than three weeks of uncertainty in Kabul.

After the Taliban seized control of the Afghan capital on Aug. 15, business was halted in major cities.

"For the last 20 days, I didn't place any order in Pakistan because of fear that the situation could be worse when the Taliban began capturing major cities," Afghan businessman Abdul Rahim QaziZai said.

"Now, I meet with my Pakistani counterparts and place orders for sugar and cooking oil," he said while going to Kabul via the Torkham border after spending three days in Peshawar, the capital city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Hundreds of trucks lined the Khyber Pass, the main road connecting Pakistan and Afghanistan via the Torkham border, on Wednesday. They were full of food products waiting to cross the border toward eastern Jalalabad in Afghanistan.

Most drivers were waiting for three or four days near the border because of a lack of parking on the Afghan side. But the long queues provide a clear picture of economic activity resuming between the two countries.

"I am waiting here for the last three days and don't know when my turn will come to cross the border," said Nadir Shah, who was resting near his vehicle.

Shah’s vehicle was loaded with cement and was headed from Peshawar to Jalalabad.

Trucks were carrying cement, sugar, flour, cooking oil, salt, bananas, and other food items to Afghanistan.

Afghanistan is rich in resources like copper, gold, oil, natural gas, uranium, bauxite, coal, iron ore, rare earth, lithium, chromium, lead, zinc, gemstones, talc, sulfur, travertine, gypsum and marble which remain unexplored due to the 20-year war after the US invaded in 2001.

A Pakistani customs official at the Torkham border, who asked not to be named because he was not authorized to speak to the media, said trade has increased in the last few days.

"Since earlier August, we observed that most trucks were going back to Afghanistan empty to bring vegetables, fruits, and minerals but now they are taking goods from Pakistan as well," he said.

"We are facilitating these trucks and want to clear as soon as possible but due to lack of parking facilities on the other side of the border, these trucks are waiting here," he said.

The number of trucks crossing increased from 100 to 150 to 300 to 400, he said.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said on Aug. 19 that the situation along the border is "normal," and trade activities have been increased.

Figures from Pakistan's customs showed the number of trucks moving across all border points reached 1,123 on Aug. 17 from 475 on Aug. 15, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The trade volume between Pakistan and Afghanistan dropped during the last decade from $1.5 - $2 billion to $754 million in 2020, due to tense relations between former Kabul governments and Islamabad, trading accusations of providing a haven to terrorists.

But it slightly increased in the current April - July period to $869 million after Prime Minster Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Kabul last November, according to the Commerce Ministry data.

 

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Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce Abdul Razak Dawood said that Pakistan will be inking a transit trade agreement with Afghanistan to access markets of Uzbekistan and beyond.

“Uzbekistan is important with respect to trade and will be a big economy to deal with,” the adviser said while visiting the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and briefing them on the recent visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan and its economic benefits.

The goods will reach Uzbekistan from Karachi in five days, Abdul Razak Dawood said and added that measures are being taken to improve trade ties between the two countries as they have signed 71 trade agreements during the recent visit.

He said that efforts were also underway to begin special flights between Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

 

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Turkey marked the launch of the Islamabad-Tehran-Istanbul Road Transport Corridor Project on Friday, with a welcoming ceremony in Istanbul for a convoy of Pakistani commercial trucks.
The first two National Logistics Company (NLC) trucks carrying goods from Pakistan reached Turkey via Iran, under the Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) convention.

The trucks departed the Pakistani port city of Karachi on September 27 and reached Istanbul on October 7, completing their 5,300 kilometers (3,293 miles) trip.

 

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https://twitter.com/x/status/1450861151391211528

 

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Balochistan govt forms committee to address issues related to movement across Chaman-Spin Boldak border

Tahir Khan
October 20, 2021

In this file photo, security personnel stand guard on Pakistan side of the Chaman-Spin Boldak border.

A committee comprising senior civil and military officials in Balochistan has been formed to address key issues related to cross-border movement at the Chaman-Spin Boldak gate along the frontier with Afghanistan, according to a notification issued by the Balochistan Home and Tribal Affairs Department.

Taliban authorities had closed the crossing for pedestrians and trade earlier this month over claims that traders, patients and passengers were facing difficulties but Pakistan was “unwilling to resolve problems” despite their efforts.

On October 18, the Balochistan Home and Tribal Affairs Department issued a notification, announcing the constitution of the committee to "resolve issues pertaining to cross-border movement" at the Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing.

The committee will be headed by the additional chief secretary of the Balochistan home department, said the notification, which is available with Dawn.com. Its members include the commander of 20 brigade at Chaman, the director of the Federal Investigation Agency in Quetta, representatives of the Inter-Services Intelligence, Quetta, National Logistics Cell, Quetta, Customs Collectorate and the National Database and Regulatory Authority, the Chaman deputy commissioner and co-opted members(s), the notification added.

According to the notification, the committee will make efforts for resolving issues pertaining to the closure of the Pak-Afghan border at Chaman and cross-border movements. It will also work on devising a proper mechanism for pedestrian movement across the border, discuss matters related to the impact on Afghan Transit Trade and review other issues.

Meanwhile, a member of the committee told Dawn.com that representatives from Pakistan and Afghanistan met near the border on Wednesday (today) to deliberate on a strategy for reopening the border. No details were immediately available about what transpired in the meeting.

The closure of the Chaman-Spin Boldak border has badly affected the pomegranate farmers of Afghanistan as fresh fruit is ready for export to Pakistan.

Pakistan has also slashed the duty on fresh fruit from Afghanistan except for apples.


Torkham border

Meanwhile, the Torkham border crossing remains closed for Afghans, even with valid visas, despite the passage of several months. Pakistan had closed the crossing in May, citing concerns over the spread of Covid-19.

Earlier on September 29, Shehzad Arbab, the special assistant to the prime minister on the Establishment Division, had said that Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed to do away with the practice of issuing permission letters for crossing the Torkham border and allow smooth entry on valid visas. The decision is, however, yet to be implemented.

For his part, Pakistan's Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan told Dawn.com that the Pakistani embassy in Kabul has issued around 16,000 visas to Afghans since the Taliban takeover on August 15. The majority of Afghans, who have been granted the visas have, however, been stuck due to the closure of Torkham border crossing.

To add to it, Pakistan and Afghan airlines have also suspended flights operations between the two countries over a high fare controversy.

 

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After three weeks, Chaman-Boldak border reopens

• Pakistan's Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan says that pedestrians and trade vehicles have started crossing the border

BR Web Desk
Updated 02 Nov 2021

The Chaman-Boldak border between Pakistan and Afghanistan has been reopened after being closed for about three weeks.

Pakistan's Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmad Khan in a tweet on Tuesday said that pedestrians and trade vehicles have started crossing the border.

Welcoming the Afghan fruit trucks moving to Pakistan, Khan asked the authorities on both sides to devote their energies to ensure the smooth movement of people and trade vehicles.
Earlier, the Pakistan envoy had announced that an agreement had been reached with Afghan authorities to reopen the Chaman-Spin Boldak gate from Tuesday (today).

The Chaman border crossing, the second-largest commercial border point between the two neighbours after Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, links with Spin Boldak in the Afghan province of Kandahar, and is regularly used by thousands of labourers and traders from both countries.

The border was briefly opened on Sunday to let people with urgent medical needs into Pakistan, which has a much more developed health system than Afghanistan. But it was quickly closed again, leaving many stranded.

Meanwhile, in another tweet, Khan said that Pakistan has waived off visa processing charges by NADRA for Afghan citizens up to December 31.

 

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Pakistan, Iran to sign barter deal through commerce chambers?

Mushtaq Ghumman
06 Nov 2021


Pakistan and Iran are all set to reach a barter trade deal by using the forums of Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) and Zahidan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ZCCI), as State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) has refused to engage in formal trade with Iran due to US sanctions on the Islamic republic, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.

The pact is likely to be signed during the visit of Prime Minister's Advisor on Commerce and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood who has reached Tehran on a two-day official visit to attend 9th Pakistan Iran Joint Trade Committee meeting scheduled for November 6-7, 2021.

Iranian Minister for Industry Reza Fatemi-Amin and Abdul Razak Dawood will jointly preside over the meeting during which issues related to trade cooperation will come under discussion, in addition to discussion on progress in decisions taken at the 8th meeting of JTC.

Both sides will discuss possibilities of FTA, cooperation in transportation sector, construction of border markets.

Dawood will also hold meetings with Iranian Ministers to discuss issue of bilateral interest.

The sources said it had been decided that a barter trade mechanism would be established between QCCI and ZCCI.

Regional peace and terrorism: Pakistan, Iran agree to boost defence cooperation

Pakistan has shared a list of 33 items including
Rice, sesamum seeds, fresh or dried guavas, mangoes and mangosteens, meat of bovine animals, fresh or chilled, surgical goods, line animals (Mammals), bananas, woven fabrics or jute, plastic and articles (polymers or styrene), textile fabrics, dried leguminous vegetables, (peas, beans etc) vessels for the transport of goods, can molasses etc.

Iran has shared a list of 33 items of its interest:

(i) gaseous hydrocarbons, liquefied (excluding natural gas);
(ii) propane liquefied;
(iii) crude petroleum oils:
(iv) petroleum bitumen;
(v) sacks and bags;
(vi) fresh and dried dates;
(vii) ceramic flags and paving & finishing ceramics; (viii) dried leguminous vegetables (chickpeas garbanzos);
(ix) fresh and dried pistachios (both in shell and shelled);
(x) bars and rods of iron or non-alloy steel, hot wafers;
(xi) sweets biscuits and bread, cakes and pastry and waffles and wafers;
(xii) chocolate and other food preparations containing coca;
(xiii) fruit juices (grapes and vegetable fruits;
(xiv) milk and cream, containing added sugar or other sweetening matter and;
(xv) apples, pears and quinces, fresh;
(xvi) grapes fresh or dried;
(xvii) dries apricots, prunes, apples, peaches and pears etc.


The Barter Trade Mechanism (BTM) will work in following ways:

(i) Pak exports to Iran will precede Iran exports to Pakistan;
(ii) barter trade shall be restricted to land route via Taftan Border only;
(iii) barter trade will be restricted to items agreed as per the Border Trade Agreement between Pakistan and Iran;
(iv) there will be no monetary transaction under the barter trade arrangement.

Pakistan's importers will make payment to Pakistan exporters in lieu of goods exported by them in Pak Rupee and vice versa;
(v) the value of goods exported under barter trade should not exceed a specific amount to be finalized during the meeting;
(vi) on imports/exports of goods on either side, the party should submit documentary evidence such as Bill of Entry to the focal person in QCCI where the value exceeds the agreed amount in PKR;
(vii) Customs authorities at Pak-lran Border will report import/export transactions of the value not exceeding agreed amount to the State Bank of Pakistan on monthly basis;
(viii) export of goods from Iran to Pakistan against import of goods from Pakistan to Iran should be completed within a period of six months from the date of import;
(ix) a copy of the contract for import and export with Iranian parties should also be submitted to QCCI and ZCCI; (x) QCCI will forward a monthly statement within 15 days from the close of the month;
(xi) Periodic Review of the agreement will be carried out after mutual consultations; and
(xii) each Party may terminate/rescind this agreement through a written communication addressed to the other Party, with a minimum notice of three months.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021

 

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ISLAMABAD (APP): Pakistan and Iran has decided to increase bilateral trade volume to US$5 billion in next five years at high level meeting during the visit of Adviser to Commerce and Investment, Abdul Razak Dawood along with the senior business leaders.

Advisor Commerce said that it was important to make the trade and investment relations more broad based, said a press release issued here on Sunday.

Adviser Commerce, Abdul Razak Dawood met with Iran’s Minister for Industry, Mining and Trade, Syed Reza Fatimi Amin at Tehran, Iran before the meeting of the 9th Joint Trade Committee (JTC).

Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade of Iran Fatemi Amin and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment of Pakistan, Abdul Razak Dawood, have co-chair the meeting to discuss all trade issues and progress made after the 8th meeting held in 2019 in Islamabad.

They discussed matters relating to trade and investment between the two countries and resolved to translate the decisions of 9th JTC into positive and tangible outcomes. The Iranian Minister invited Pakistani companies to invest in Iran.

Earlier last Friday the Adviser Commerce left for Iran on a two day visit to negotiate on bilateral trade and investment with Iranian government.

Pakistan and Iran have agreed to start initial talks on the FTA and other important issues of trade for increasing the bilateral trade volume and investment opportunities.

Both of the neighboring countries have discussed barter trade, cooperation in transportation, Free Trade Agreement, construction of border markets and other issues affecting bilateral trade. The 9th Joint Trade Committee (JTC) meeting between Islamic Republic of Iran and Islamic Republic of Pakistan was held on November 6-7 2021-at Tehran.

An MOU on exhibition cooperation has also been signed between the two countries.

Officials from the Ministry of Commerce, Pakistan Customs (FBR), Govt of Balochistan and Presidents of Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry were accompanied by the Adviser for the meeting.

 

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Pak-Afghan border officials agree to enhance trade via Torkham

The Newspaper's Correspondent
November 10, 2021

This file photo shows a general view of the border post in Torkham, Pakistan. — Reuters/File


KHYBER: Pakistan and Afghan border officials agreed on Tuesday to devise a mechanism to enhance bilateral trade via the Torkham border.

A meeting to this effect was held at the customs compound attended by officials of Frontier Corps, National Logistics Cell, Federal Investigation Agency, State Bank of Pakistan, Khyber and Sarhad chambers, local traders and customs clearing agents.

From Afghanistan side, their border officials — Maulvi Mustafa, Maulvi Ubaidullah and head of Afghan customs Abdul Hameed participated in the meeting.

The participants discussed all the issues confronted by the local traders and transporters in clearance of goods at the border, and also shared suggestions for prompt removal of bottlenecks in goods clearance.

The meeting agreed on increasing the number of electronic scanners in order to expedite the scanning process of loaded trucks and reducing chances of delay in customs clearance in order to overcome traffic congestion at the border crossing.

Representatives of Khyber and Sarhad chambers told the meeting that delay in issuance of export forms by the private banks to the local exporters was causing reduction in export of Pakistani goods to Afghanistan despite an extension in the ‘cash-on-counter’ facility by the State Bank of Pakistan.

The meeting agreed on formation of a coordination committee comprising government officials and representatives of local traders, customs clearing agents and transporters to pinpoint difficulties in goods clearance.

It was for the first time that Taliban officials participated in such a meeting on the Pakistan side of the border after they took control of Afghanistan in mid August.

Published in Dawn, November 10th, 2021

 

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November 19, 2021

Trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan has recently surged.

Pakistan's envoy for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq said that large numbers of vehicles cross into and out of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Reported Tola News, according to the data, within the past three days, 1,450 trucks laden with goods (or returning empty) have passed through Torkham, 1,094 through Chaman, 618 through Ghulam Khan, 564 through Kharlachi, and 410 through Angora Ada.

The Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Investment said that the crossing points with Pakistan were the shortest transit path for Afghan exports and that the trade problems between Kabul and Islamabad have been resolved.

“Afghanistan’s exports are going well and increased by 20% from last year. With the opening of air corridors, our exports will increase by 25% by end of this year,” said Mohammad Younis Momand, head of the organization.

Some traders in the eastern province of Nangarhar said that trade was at a normal rate at the Afghan and Pakistan crossings. The traders said that the trade rate was still at a low level and shows a 50 percent reduction compared to four months ago.

“Pakistani representatives have said that our trade with Afghanistan has increased, and goods are transiting through Ghulam Khan, Spinboldak and Torkham borders,” said Zalmai Azimi, a trader.

“It is very important for us to export our goods to the Indian markets through Pakistan,” said Abdul Nasir Reshtia, an economist.

 

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International trade corridors: Pakistan begins installing RMPs to secure borders


Muhammad Ali
05 Jan 2022

KARACHI: Pakistan has begun installing Radiation Monitoring Portals (RMPs) at all international trade corridors to avert the smuggling of nuclear materials. This information was disclosed by Dr Rehmatullah, the first Director of the newly-established National Nuclear Detection Architecture (NNDA).


“The decision to establish NNDA at all international trade corridors was made after the recent Indian propaganda regarding the seizure of a potentially radioactive consignment from a vessel that originated from Pakistan,” Dr Rehmatullah said.

“The government is very serious about securing its borders from smuggling of nuclear materials, especially after opening the Central Asia trade corridor. Therefore, the installation of radiation detection equipment is being made to avert all possibilities of nuclear material smuggling, he added."

The RMPs will monitor the movement of nuclear material and detect any radioactive traces left behind by smugglers who try to circumvent them.

Earlier, the MoU signing ceremony between the Directorate of Transit Trade and the representatives of all terminals for scanners’ installation was held at the Customs House, Karachi.

Dr Rehmatullah, who is also serving as the director in Directorate of Transit Trade, said the MoU aimed to install single view scanners at the ports and airports of Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad.

The project cost is $31 million, funded by the World Bank. He said that in the first phase, scanners would be installed at South Asia Port Terminal (SAPT) and the Karachi airport by October this year, and it would be run as a pilot project for three months. After that, the scanners would be rolled out to QICT, PICT, KICT, Islamabad, and Lahore dry and airports.

He said that after installing these scanners, the clearance time would be reduced from five days to hours as these advanced scanners could scan 120 to 150 containers per hour.

Replying to a question, he ruled out the possibilities of human interaction and misuse of the scanners, saying that the department had evolved a mechanism where no scanning officer would have access to any relevant information to ensure transparency in the clearance process through scanners. Furthermore, he said that new appointments would be made for this project, and these officers would be given incentives and special training to operate the scanners.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022

 

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The Pakistan-Uzbekistan Transit Trade Agreement (AUPTT) has been operationalised & history made on 3rd March 2022 by clearance of the first-ever transit trade consignment to Uzbekistan. The maiden transit shipment is being moved by Pyramid Logistics of Pakistan, from the SAPT Terminal at Karachi Port to Termez in Uzbekistan.

With this, a new era of trade has started between Pakistan & Central Asia whereby goods would move to and from Pakistan’s ports to their respective destinations..

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