LAHORE: Pakistan has prevented an attempt to import Afghan-origin fresh fruits through Iran, a move authorities say was aimed at bypassing the suspension of bilateral trade with Afghanistan, even as more than 5,500 Afghan transit containers remain stranded due to ongoing border closures.
Customs officials said that on November 8, an importer attempted to bring a 23-metric-tonne consignment of Afghan-origin fresh fruits via Taftan under the Early Harvest Programme. The importer submitted Afghan-origin documents including invoices, bills of lading, export declarations and phytosanitary certificates.
However, officials rejected the consignment, saying the facility could not be claimed when no bilateral trade is taking place due to border closures. Authorities also warned that similar attempts could allow Iranian-grown produce—such as apples and grapes, which mirror Afghan crops—into Pakistan disguised as Afghan goods, undermining the programme.
Afghanistan, which relies heavily on Pakistan for access to seaports and low-cost transit, has been hit hard by the closures, particularly exporters of perishable goods such as fruits, vegetables and dry fruits. Longer routes through Iran or Central Asia significantly increase costs, risk spoilage and strain Afghanistan’s limited cold-chain infrastructure.
The growing pile-up of Afghanistan-bound cargo inside Pakistan underscores Kabul’s dependence on Pakistani transit routes, despite its efforts to seek alternative corridors after recent border skirmishes led to shutdowns at Torkham and Chaman.
To avoid disruptions in regional commerce, Pakistan has also decided to facilitate Uzbekistan by allowing it to airlift five urgent cargoes and reroute 29 containers through China under the Customs Convention on the International Transport of Goods. Sources said procedural work to enable these movements is near completion.
According to senior Customs officials, Pakistan has not suspended the Afghanistan Transit Trade Agreement, but processing of Afghan transit goods has been halted to prevent congestion near the closed borders. As of Wednesday, 729 containers were stuck at Chaman, 142 at Torkham, and roughly 4,650 more at sea or at Karachi port.
Despite Kabul’s attempts to turn to Iran, Turkmenistan, or Uzbekistan, these alternatives are significantly costlier. Routes through Iranian crossings like Zaranj and Delaram add 800–1,000 kilometres to travel distances compared to Pakistani borders, increasing transport charges by up to 50%. Sanctions against Iran also limit Afghanistan’s ability to conduct formal trade through that route.
Transporters in Pakistan have also reported declining earnings due to the ongoing shutdowns. Officials said that, despite tensions, Pakistan remains the most viable and cost-effective corridor for Afghan trade.
The disruption has had limited impact on Pakistan’s inflation basket. Data from the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics shows weekly inflation eased 0.6% as of November 6, with tomato prices falling 38% and onions and garlic dropping 5% and 3.3%, respectively.
