Pak-Afghan transit trade to resume in phases after ceasefire: Customs authority

Pakistan is set to gradually resume the Afghan transit trade following a recent ceasefire understanding between Islamabad and Kabul, the Directorate of Transit Trade announced Thursday.

According to the statement, the restoration will take place in three stages. In the first phase, nine vehicles that were turned back after the closure of the Bab-e-Dosti border crossing will be cleared.

The second phase will process 74 vehicles that had returned from the National Logistics Cell (NLC) terminal, while the final phase will allow 217 vehicles parked at the halting yard to proceed toward Afghanistan.

Customs authorities said that formal instructions have been issued to gradually restore transit operations, starting with the Chaman border route, one of the busiest trade crossings between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Trade officials in Chaman, however, reported that hundreds of cargo trucks remain stranded due to the extended suspension of cross-border movement. They said that more than 370 trucks are currently parked across various cities in Balochistan, while around 300 are stationed at different terminals within Chaman city.

In addition, over 500 freight vehicles and 150 trucks engaged in the Central Asian transit trade are still waiting for clearance to cross the border.

Officials expect the phased restoration plan to ease congestion and revive commercial activity that had been disrupted for weeks amid rising tensions along the Pak-Afghan frontier.