Pakistan Allows Trucks to Move as Iran Cites Paperwork Delays

Pakistan and Iran are trading again, but the flow is slow and disputed. Trucks began crossing the Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan border crossings on Monday after a nine-day halt. Pakistani officials say the reopening is partial. Iranian diplomats argue that new paperwork rules introduced by Islamabad are still preventing cargo from leaving Iran.

The pause began on October 17. Islamabad suspended cargo traffic through the crossings in Balochistan province, citing security risks. On a normal day, hundreds of freight vehicles move through these points. The stoppage left trucks stranded on both sides of the border. It also created a shortage of liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, in Pakistan. The country imports most of its energy from the Middle East, and the halt caused price spikes.

Trade resumed partially over the weekend. Mir Naveed Jan Kalmati, president of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told Al Jazeera that activity picked up. Haji Noor Muhammad Shahwani, central president of the Balochistan Goods Truck Owners Association, said Pakistani exports like rice and bananas were crossing the border. He confirmed that trucks loaded in Iran before the closure, including those carrying LPG, were entering Pakistan. "They are coming slowly," he said.

Customs officials gave agents the green light to process stranded vehicles. Rizwan Ahmed, a customs clearing agent near the Gabd-Rimdan crossing, said authorities told him to bring in as much cargo as possible. His own shipment of rice, potatoes, and retail goods had just left. However, Ahmed did not clarify if the rule applied to goods loaded after October 16. Border officials cleared consignments dated from October 16 or earlier.

Iran says the problem lies in administrative changes. Reza Amiri Moghadam, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, posted on X on Sunday that Iran has placed no restrictions on exports. He argued that changes to Pakistan’s E-Form procedure have made it difficult for traders to dispatch cargo. The E-Form, or EIF, is used to record imports and their payment through banks. A memorandum from the Pakistan Ministry of Commerce on October 16 withdrew a previous waiver for these forms. It took effect immediately.

Security in Balochistan remains a central concern. Gunmen attacked trucks waiting near the Gabd crossing on Thursday. The military said it killed 10 attackers in operations around Gabd and Gwadar city. One civilian died. Balochistan saw 131 armed attacks in September, the highest monthly total in 12 years. Bakhtiar Ismail, the deputy commissioner of Chagai, wrote on October 18 that the closure was a temporary measure to support counterterrorism efforts.

The border issue has sparked debate over US influence. The United States has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports and wide-ranging economic sanctions since the war began in February. Imtiaz Baloch, a security analyst, said US pressure may have influenced the closure, either directly or through banking channels. He noted that no concrete statement has linked the halt to US policy. "Security is part of it, procedures or technical glitches are part of it and the banking system is also involved," he said.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry spokesman, Sajjad Haider Khan, said the country adheres to all applicable sanctions regimes. He stated he did not have direct knowledge of the situation on the ground. He did not confirm whether the US pressured Pakistan to close the border. The Ministry of Commerce did not respond to requests for comment. Consultations between the two nations are currently under way.