Taftan crossing reopens as partial Iran trade resumes

Trade through the Pakistan-Iran border crossing at Taftan resumed on a partial basis on Monday, with thousands of trucks waiting on the Pakistani side, according to reports carried by The Star and Balochistan Pulse.

The Star reported that thousands of trucks were stuck as partial trade resumed at the crossing. Balochistan Pulse reported that the border was reopening on Monday and that Taftan was resuming trade, but said trucks carrying LPG were still waiting for clearance.

Taftan lies in Balochistan's Chagai district and is the main road gateway between Pakistan and Iran, carrying a large share of the two countries' overland trade in goods and fuel.

Neither report stated why trade had been suspended, when the suspension began, or how many vehicles were waiting beyond the description of "thousands". The reports also did not say what proportion of normal traffic the partial resumption covers, or whether passenger movement across the crossing had restarted alongside cargo.

According to Balochistan Pulse, LPG-carrying trucks had not yet been cleared even as trade resumed, indicating that not all cargo was moving immediately. The outlet did not say what clearance the tankers were waiting for or which authority was handling it.

No statement from Customs officials, the Ministry of Commerce, the Balochistan government or Iranian border authorities appeared in either report, and no timeline was given for when the remaining trucks might be cleared.

The backlog matters for traders and transporters on both sides of the border, who rely on the Chagai route for the movement of food, fuel and consumer goods. A prolonged queue of vehicles at Taftan ties up trucks, raises freight costs and delays delivery of imported LPG within Pakistan.

Both outlets reported the development on Monday morning. Further details on the volume of traffic and the clearance of the LPG trucks were not immediately available.