ISLAMABAD: After ne­a­rly two months of hal­ted cross-border cargo mo­v­ement, the Pakistani government has begun clearing humanitarian cons­i­g­n­ments for Afghan­istan, marking the first controlled reopening of transit trade since routine trade was suspended in October.

The government has completely suspended customs clearance for both exports and imports, along with Afghan Transit Trade (ATT) cargos, at major border crossings — including Torkham, Ghulam Khan, Kharlachi, and Angoor Adda — effective October 12, and at the Chaman border from October 15.

An official letter was issued to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Directorate Gen­eral of Transit Trade to initiate the movement of consignments belonging to three United Nations agencies through the border crossings at Chaman and Torkham.

In the first phase, a total of 143 containers of humanitarian goods will be allowed for clearance at Chaman and Torkham. The breakdown shows that the containers incl­ude 67 containers of food assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP), 74 containers of supplies for children from Unicef, and two containers of healthcare and family support items from UNFPA.

Officials confirmed that the decision followed instr­uctions issued by the foreign ministry after consultations with the UN resident coordinator in Pakistan.

According to letter, the cargo movement will proceed in three stages: the first covers food shipments, the second covers medicine and medical equipment, and the third covers items for education services. More consignments are expected to follow once agencies provide updated requirements.

It further stated that the Directorate General of Transit Trade and FBR were requested to undertake the necessary actions for the clearance and onward transportation of the mentioned containers via Chaman and Torkham, as originally manifested under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement and ATT rules.

Truck drivers and customs workers in Chaman and Torkham had faced long periods without cargo activity, with hundreds of vehicles parked along the routes during the closure.

Officials said the reopening applied only to humanitarian ATT cargos and did not signal the restoration of routine trade. Senior officials added that the remaining UN cargo lists would be shared in stages once documentation was verified.

In terms of transit cargo, approximately 495 vehicles are queued for border crossing at Torkham and Chaman. Of these, the majority — 412 vehicles — are stranded at Chaman, while the remaining 83 are held up at Torkham, the announcement added.

In the fiscal year 2024–25, Pakistan recorded transit trade imports valued at $1.012 billion, comprising a total of 42,959 containers.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2025