Pakistan has suspended trade with Iran at the Taftan and Gabd-Rimdan border crossings in Balochistan province, leaving freight stranded on both sides, according to Pakistani and Iranian officials.
The suspension emerged on Saturday, a day after Pakistan's Commerce Ministry issued a memorandum, which was seen by Dawn. The document withdrew an earlier order, No. 9(3)2017-Iran dated 3 October, with immediate effect.
Pakistan's federal government had not commented publicly on the decision, Al Jazeera reported. The statements so far have come from provincial and district officials.
About 2,000 trucks were reported stranded, according to Gulf News and Daily Sun. Arab News Pakistan referred instead to thousands of containers. The two reports use different measures, and neither figure has been independently confirmed.
There are concerns about shortages and higher prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), according to Gulf News and Daily Sun.
The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry advised traders to stop placing new import and export orders, according to The Print. It said loads of LPG, rice and fresh fruit were affected.
Pakistani rice exporters warned on Sunday that shipping to Iran by sea would cost more, Arab News reported.
Bakhtiar Ismail, the deputy commissioner of Chagai district, wrote on X on Saturday that the closure was "a temporary measure to improve border management to support counterterrorism efforts". He said the border would open "as soon as effective measures are in place". No date has been given.
Shahid Rind, adviser to the Balochistan chief minister on media and political affairs, said the purpose was to address security concerns, prevent smuggling and make the border system more effective, according to Dawn. Dawn also said he refuted rumours about the closure. Details of those rumours were not available.
Iran gave a different reason. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said: "Due to certain technical issues and the necessity of implementing precautionary measures, cross-border movement and exchanges have been temporarily halted." Al Jazeera cited the state news agency IRNA as the source of his comments.
Al Jazeera noted the contrast between the Pakistani officials' references to security and smuggling and Iran's reference to technical issues. The agency ANI described the move as a suspension of cross-border movement by both countries, while Pakistani officials announced the closure.
Iranian news agency WANA said passenger traffic at Gabd-Rimdan had continued, according to Al Jazeera. That claim has not been confirmed by Pakistani officials.
Imtiaz Baloch, an independent researcher on Balochistan security based in Quetta, told Al Jazeera that security might be only part of the explanation for the decision.
Pakistan and Iran share a border of roughly 900km, according to Al Jazeera. It runs between Pakistan's Balochistan province and south-eastern Iran. Taftan and Gabd handle both people and goods, while Mand and Chadgi are used only for trade.
The suspension follows recent efforts to expand trade. An Iranian trade delegation met Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in early August, Dawn reported. Both sides agreed to expand trade by keeping crossings open around the clock.
The 10th Pakistan-Iran Joint Trade Committee met in Islamabad at the same time. Iran's Trade and Industry Minister Mohammad Atabak led the delegation, according to Dawn.
Dawn also quoted Jiand Hoot, president of the Gwadar Chamber of Commerce, who said trade through the Panjgur and Mand-Radig crossings was virtually non-existent. He cited poor roads and repeated arson and vehicle burnings.
Al Jazeera's report said Pakistan was mediating between Iran and the United States. Dawn has published a related report saying Islamabad hinted at a cautious shift on US sanctions against Iran. Neither report was reviewed in full for this article.
Mr Ismail said the border would reopen once effective measures were in place. Pakistan's federal government had not said when that might be, and no further response from Iran had been reported.
