Pakistan Border Trade

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Halal meat export to Tashkent begins​

Containers carrying meat from Pakistan return with cotton


Our Correspondent
March 10, 2022

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KARACHI: Pakistan’s accession to the International Transport of Goods (TIR) Convention has opened up new avenues of regional trade and as a result bilateral exchanges between Pakistan and Central Asian states are growing.

Taking advantage of the potential for trade with the Central Asian states, Pakistani exporters have kick-started export of Halal meat to Uzbekistan through the land route.

The first shipment, containing 18 tons of meat, was exported to Tashkent on Wednesday. Parliamentary Secretary for Economic Affairs Sheikh Yaqub was present at the time of shipment.

Shaheen Group Chief Executive Officer Malik Sher Khan told The Express Tribune that there was a huge market for Halal food in Central Asia and TIR had turned it easier for Pakistan to access the region.

“In one month, 900 tons of meat will be shipped to Tashkent via Torkham in 50 consignments of 18 tons each,” he said. “A consignment takes eight days to reach Tashkent from Pakistan.”

He revealed that talks were underway with Uzbekistan for export of meat to Tajikistan.

Citing that all routes from Pakistan to Tashkent had been surveyed, he added that Torkham was completely safe and all Central Asian states were connected to it.

“Increase in bilateral trade with Central Asian states will facilitate freight services and push down fares,” he said. “Containers carrying meat from Pakistan return to the country with cotton.”

He noted that the containers were able to reach Central Asia due to strict adherence to the axle load standards in Pakistan. “This system is being improved further at the government level, which will benefit exports.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 10th, 2022.
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TORKHAM: Bilateral trade with Central Asian countries under the Transport International Route (TIR) agreement is gradually increasing pace was said by Additional Collector Customs Muhammad Tayyab on Sunday.

In conversation with the media during a function at the Torkham border crossing, the customs official stated that in one year, more than 80 containers of goods have been imported and exported through the border.

He also claimed that with the completion of the Torkham Transit Terminal Project, which is currently under construction in line with international standards, the Torkham border crossing will become a hub of trade activities for the whole region.

“Rice, leather goods, sports goods, medicines and various kinds of machinery have been exported to Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries,” he furthered.

“The Torkham border crossing will be a gateway for trade activities in the region and will lead to a significant increase in the country's revenue,” he said.

A function was organised at the Torkham border crossing by Pakistan’s customs officials as the country continues to import and export with Central Asian countries under the TIR agreement.

During the ceremony, TIR container number QAA 451 reached Torkham border via Uzbekistan carrying imported goods from Afghanistan. As the container entered Pakistan, Additional Collector Customs Muhammad Tayyab and other customs officials and traders welcomed the driver with bouquets and flower garlands.

Adeel Ahmed, a driver from Punjab, told the media that he had left Tashkent, Uzbekistan, for Pakistan three weeks ago with a container full of cotton. However, due to snowfall in the upper parts of Afghanistan, the journey took several days longer.

Ahmad added that the rest of the journey was comfortable and peaceful.

At the end of the ceremony, the customs staff cleared the TIR container, which later left for Lahore.

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After keeping the land route between Pakistan and China closed for over two years following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic, China has finally announced to open the Khunjerab border from April 1, 2022 for trade activities.

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Pakistan Afghanistan border at Khyber Pass in August 1934..

 

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India

View attachment 732194

Road

Wagah / Attari, the only fully-fledged international road crossing
The Kartarpur Corridor, is a border crossing for Indian citizens, only, to be able to visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, from Dera Baba Nanak, visa-free.

Rail

Wagah / Attari, the Samjhauta Express between Lahore and Amritsar/Delhi crosses here.
Munabao / Khokhrapar, the Thar Express between Karachi and Jodhpur crosses here.

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Iran

View attachment 732197


Road

Taftan / Mirjaveh, on the road between Quetta and Zahedan.
Gabad / Rimdan, on the road between Gwadar and Chabahar opened in December 2020.

Proposed

Washap / Kuhak, on the road between Panjgur and Iranshahr.
Mand / Pishin, on the road between Turbat and Iranshahr.

View attachment 732195

Rail

Taftan / Mirjaveh, on the line between Quetta and Zahedan

People of South Balochistan relies heavily on trade with Iran, as they have no other major Employment opportunities.... Government can help them to increase their HDI by just 2 steps :

1. Open all "legal" border crossings with Iran
2. By Completing All the Road Connectivity Projects


Current Roads

Taftan / Mirjaveh, on the road between Quetta and Zahedan.
Gabad / Rimdan, on the road between Gwadar and Chabahar opened in December 2020.

Proposed Roads

Washap / Kuhak, on the road between Panjgur and Iranshahr.
Mand / Pishin, on the road between Turbat and Iranshahr.
Washuk / Saravan, on the road between Washuk and Saravan.

 

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APTTA likely to get another 6-month extension​

Mushtaq Ghumman
10 May, 2022

ISLAMABAD: The government is likely to extend Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) for another six months as both sides have not yet restarted talks on the proposed pact after Taliban took control of Afghanistan, sources close to Secretary Commerce told Business Recorder.

Pakistan was bound by international obligations, including United Nations convention of Land Locked states 1965 and United Nations convention on Law of sea 1992 for provision of passage to land locked states.

Afghanistan, being a land-locked country, was also entitled for passage of transit cargo. Besides, this passage through Afghanistan was also meant to facilitate trade and transit to and from the doubly land locked central Asian states. Historically, Pakistan had always provided access to Afghan transit cargo. Before APTTA 2010, access was under ATTA 1965. Moreover, stoppage of transit goods access may result in humanitarian crisis and in flow of refugees.

Moreover, APTTA 2010 did not cover multimodal bonded air to land transit as per article 4. However, Commerce Ministry and FBR maintained that such transit initially from Islamabad Airport would not only ease provision of urgently needed support for Afghanistan but will also generate goodwill for Pakistan in the international community.

The Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement, of 1965, allowed Afghan trucks to pass through Border Crossing Points (BCPs) on the basis of Road Permits. This mechanism was replaced with Temporary Admission Document in April 2010, but was never implemented.

However, Afghanistan and Pakistan allowed passage to each other’s trucks from 2011 -2016.

The Afghan Government stopped Pakistani trucks carrying export goods for central Asian Republics at Jalalabad and Spin Boldak, from October 2017 through a presidential decree. As a result, Pakistan also stopped Afghan trucks from moving beyond Peshawar and Chaman.

Afghan trucks were allowed movement within Pakistan and similar access was given to Pakistan trucks within Afghanistan and to CARs under April 2010. Same arrangement had been agreed by both sides during negotiations to finalize April 2021 with easier modalities which was also extremely crucial for TIR operations from Pakistan. Multiple times offloading of goods increased the cost & time of transportation and damaged goods, especially perishables.

On November 9, 2021, Commerce Ministry proposed to the Cabinet to issue directions to Federal Board of Revenue, for unhindered facilitation to Afghan transit goods and trucks, to pass through Pakistan’s designated sea ports and land territory beyond November 11, 2021, for a period of six months which has now expired.

Commerce Ministry has sought Cabinet nod to extend the period for another six months to facilitate transit trade. Pakistan will also seek reciprocal facilitation from Afghanistan for Pakistan transit goods and trucks, to be implemented simultaneously for passing through Afghan territory for Central Asian Republics and beyond, before signing of Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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Pakistan’s commerce ministry clarified on Wednesday there was no change in the country’s trade policy toward India which was restricted after New Delhi revoked the special constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir in August 2019.

 

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GWADAR: The Iranian government has closed the Gabd-Rimdan border on Tuesday, officials said.

Official sources said Iran had closed the crossing point after armed clashes between its security forces and Iranian Baloch people in Zahedan, the capital of Sistan Baluchistan province, in which “hundreds of people were killed several others injured”.

Iranian forces also suffered casualties, including two senior intelligence commanders.

The border crossing point, inaugurated earlier this year, is located between Gabd in Balochistan and Rimdan in Iran’s Sistan province.

“The Gabd crossing gate was closed for an indefinite period for pilgrims and trade,” officials said.

Published in Dawn, October 5th, 2022

 

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SOUTH WAZIRISTAN: The Pak-Afghan border crossing at Angoor Adda in South Waziristan was reopened on Wednesday after successful talks between the district administration officials and the elders of the Ahmadzai Wazir tribe.

The border crossing with Afghanistan was closed after local traders and residents staged protest demonstrations against a ban on some ‘unauthorised’ commercial activities in the area.

Assistant commissioner, Wana, Yasir Salman Kundi and additional assistant commissioner Dr Sadiq Ali along with district police officer Attiq Wazir held talks with the Ahmadzai elders, ulema and the protesters.

Officials said that some of the demands of the locals were accepted by the district administration, after which the border crossing was opened.

 

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Pakistan, Afghan border crossing closed after clashes​

Reuters
November 14, 2022

https://defence.pk/pdf/javascript:void(0)

QUETTA: A major border crossing between Afghanistan and Pakistan has closed for trade and transit after a clash between security force personnel from both sides, a local Pakistani official said on Monday.

Abdul Hameed Zehri, the Deputy Commissioner of the town of Chaman, which borders the Afghan district of Spin Boldak, said the closure came after prolonged firing between security forces the day before.

“Firing continued until late night from both sides,” said Zehri, adding that trade and border crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan had been suspended.

A spokesperson for the Taliban administration’s interior ministry said a clash had occurred between border forces from both sides. He said it was due to a “misunderstanding” and the incident was being investigated.

A spokesperson for the media wing of Pakistan’s military said they were looking into the situation to determine what had happened.

Zehri said the clashes had started when a man coming from the Afghan side of the border crossing had shot a Pakistani security force member, killing him and wounding others. The total number of casualties on both sides was not immediately clear.

Hundreds of trucks containing goods were stuck waiting on both sides, locals and officials said.

 

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November 21, 2022

QUETTA: Pakistan agreed on Sunday conditionally to reopen the Chaman border with Afghanistan, more than a week after firing from the Afghan side on Frontier Corps officials at the Friendship Gate led to its closure.

The decision to open the border was made during a meeting between Pakistani and Afghan officials, Chaman Deputy Commissioner Abdul Hameed Zehri told the media on Sunday.

The details of the talks and the decision to open the border had been conveyed to the civil-military liaison committee of Chaman, which agreed to open the border for trade and travel from Monday.

Consequently, the immigration offices of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and Pakistan Customs would also be opened, officials said.

Mr Zehri said that during the meeting, Afghan Taliban officials expressed anger and grief over the November 13 incident and assured the Pakistani authorities that the “terrorists” behind the incident would be arrested and strictly punished.

Pakistan had shut Friendship Gate after shooting from Afghan side

Both sides also decided to take concrete steps to avoid a repeat of such incident.
The border closure since last week resulted in suspension of trade between both countries through the Friendship Gate. A large number of trucks carrying Afghan transit trade goods and containers carrying import and export goods were stranded on both sides.

While confirming the border closure for an indefinite period, Chaman DC Zehri last week said: “A man crossed into Pakistani side at Friendship Gate from the Afghan border and opened fire at the security personnel posted at the gate, resulting in the martyrdom of one soldier and injuring two others.” Shortly after the incident, the official said, the Afghan personnel opened fire on Pakistani forces, which retaliated and the firing continued for some time.

Pakistan border authorities immediately summoned a flagship meeting of the Afghan forces and demanded that the armed men, who had fired at the Pakistani security personnel, be handed over to the Pakistani authorities, but the negotiations remained fruitless at that time, as Afghan officials refused to hand over those involved in the firing, official sources said. The exchange of fire resumed in the evening, which officials said continued with small intervals.

The Chaman border, some 100km northwest of Quetta, is one of the major international border crossings and is used by thousands of people on a daily basis. On the Afghan side, it leads north into Wesh town in the Spin Boldak district of Kandahar province.

Pakistan had earlier refused to reopen the Friendship Gate for transit trade and crossing until the authorities got the custody of the attacckers.

A couple of days later, Pakistani authorities on humanitarian grounds and as a goodwill gesture allowed several hundred Afghan nationals, who were stranded in Chaman due to the border closure, to cross into their country from another area, considering that there were patients among them who had come to Pakistan for treatment.

A spokesperson for the Afghan interior ministry last week told Reuters that the clash had occurred between border forces from both sides due to a “misunderstanding” and the incident was being investigated.
The Afghan border authorities explained that the Taliban forces were not involved in the shooting at Friendship Gate.

“They might be terrorists who were involved in firing,” the officials said.
Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2022

 

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NHA to link CPEC M-14 with Pak-Afghan border

The federal government has decided to connect Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan with Motorway 14 (M-14), a project of the western alignment route of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) via a 184km-long Motorway.

According to Gwadar Pro on Tuesday, the National Highway Authority (NHA) on Monday issued a request for proposal (RFP) of consultancy services for the Feasibility Study and Detailed Design for the Construction of the Motorway from Ghulam Khan to Esa Khel Interchange (184km approx).

The project will be financed by the Federal Government through PSDP 2022-23 through separate head/allocation.
In this regard, a pre-proposal conference on the project will be held on July 19, 2022, at NHA headquarters in Islamabad while procurement will be carried out by adopting the “Single Stage Two Envelops” procedure.

The proposals complete in all respects in accordance with the instructions provided in the RFP document in sealed envelopes, which should reach on or before August 10, 2022.

Esa Khel Interchange is located over M-14 in Mianwali district of Punjab, which is in proximity to the Lakki Marwat district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). Between Mianwali and Ghulam Khan falls Bannu district of KP. After Torkham and Chaman, Ghulam Khan is the third most important crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Afghanistan has already started benefiting from Gwadar Port and the country received the first consignment of bulk cargo from the United Arab Emirates in July 2020. Ghulam Khan crossing, at the Pak-Afghan border point, is the shortest route connecting CPEC’s western route with Afghanistan, Central Asian States and beyond.

Route Map:

Feasibility Study Completed on Sept 9th: Tender issued for Feasibility Study - July 8th, 2022
Evaluation Report Completed on Nov 24th: Announcement Of Evaluation Report - Sept 9th, 2022
Current Status: TBD

 

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Pak-Afgan Border

Pakistan has closed the Torkham International Border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan after Taliban fighters deployed on the border opened fire, killing an Afghan civilian and injuring an FC KPK soldier. The injured soldier has been medevaced to a military hospital.

 

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Phase 1 of the temporary reopening of the Pak-China border commenced today to facilitate local trade and key hydropower projects.

 

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Special arrangement to temporarily open Khunjerab Pass to facilitate the urgent goods needed for Pakistan, before Chinese New Year.
40 truckloads, including 11 of hydropower plant equipment and 29 of livelihood supplies are on the way.