Pakistan has halted trade with Iran at the Taftan and Gabd-Rimdan crossings in Balochistan province, leaving freight stranded on both sides of the border, Al Jazeera reported. The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) said about 2,000 trucks were stuck on the two sides after the suspension emerged on Saturday.

Source: Al Jazeera

Shahid Rind, adviser to Balochistan's chief minister on media affairs, said the two crossings had been closed for trade under a notification issued by Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce on Friday, describing the move as necessary to improve the security situation and administrative affairs on both sides of the border. Dawn reported that the Pakistan-Iran trade corridors were suspended over security and smuggling concerns.

The two governments have offered different explanations for the shutdown. Reporting summarising both sides said Pakistan cited security concerns while Iran pointed to technical issues. Al Jazeera reported that Pakistan's federal government had not commented publicly and that it received no response from authorities in Balochistan. Passenger traffic at Gabd-Rimdan has continued, the Iranian news agency WANA reported.

Rind said officials from Pakistan and Iran were holding talks to resolve the security and administrative issues and that trade was expected to resume soon. Traders, however, face delays to shipments — including LPG supplies — and possible losses the longer the crossings stay shut, and no reopening date has been announced.

The halt is a sharp reversal for a border the two countries were recently trying to open wider: in August, Pakistan's leadership and Iran's industry minister discussed a $10 billion annual trade target — yaani, a ten-arab-dollar trade goal — and arrangements for crossings to operate around the clock. For now, the trucks at Taftan and Gabd-Rimdan are going nowhere.