Pakistan restarts Afghan transit trade after a ceasefire with the Taliban.
Operations at Chaman border clear 300 stranded vehicles in three phases.
Security checks are tightened to prevent smuggling and illegal trade.
Pakistan has restarted Afghan transit trade in a phased manner following a ceasefire agreement with the Afghan Taliban government, PTI reported on Thursday.
Trade had been suspended on October 13 after clashes between Pakistani and Afghan forces, leaving scores of vehicles stranded along the border. Around 300 vehicles at various locations are now being cleared, beginning with operations at the southwestern Chaman border crossing in Balochistan province.
Quoting the Directorate of Transit Trade (Customs), PTI reported that cargo operations will proceed in three stages. Once the backlog is cleared, regular transit trade will resume on a “first in, first out” basis.
In the first stage, nine vehicles turned back when the Friendship Gate was closed will be reweighed and rescanned, with full inspections if discrepancies are found. The Friendship Gate connects Balochistan to Afghanistan’s Kandahar.
The second phase involves 74 vehicles returned from the NLC Border Terminal Yard, which will undergo reweighing and scanning, with complete checks for inconsistencies. The third phase will clear 217 vehicles currently parked in the halting yard, allowing them to cross into Afghanistan. PTI reported that photographs of all returning or halted vehicles will be taken and archived to ensure transparency.
Officials said the phased resumption is expected to provide relief to traders, transporters and cargo operators who suffered losses during the closure. Security checks and inspection procedures have been tightened to prevent smuggling and illegal trade.
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The Chaman border is Pakistan’s most significant land trade route with Afghanistan, handling dozens of trucks and consignments daily. Authorities expect the reopening to restore smooth cross-border trade and strengthen economic ties.
Pakistan had earlier closed crossings along the 2,600-km border, including main points at Torkham and Chaman and minor crossings at Kharlachi, Angoor Adda and Ghulam Khan.
On October 19, Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to an immediate ceasefire during talks in Qatar, with plans to meet on October 25 in Istanbul to discuss “detailed matters.” The restoration of transit trade is expected to revive cross-border commercial activity and improve bilateral trade relations, PTI reported.
(With inputs from PTI)
