Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Pakistan has temporarily suspended trade at two key border crossings with Iran over security and smuggling concerns, leaving hundreds of freight vehicles carrying essential commodities stranded and raising concerns over LPG supplies and prices.
Shahid Rind, adviser to the Balochistan chief minister on media affairs, said on Saturday that the Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan crossings in Pakistan’s Balochistan province had been closed for trade under a notification issued by the Ministry of Commerce on Friday.
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He described the move as “necessary to improve the security situation and administrative affairs on both sides of the border”.
Rind said the suspension was aimed at improving the effectiveness of the crossings and addressing security and smuggling concerns. Officials from Pakistan and Iran are holding talks to resolve the security and administrative issues, with trade expected to resume soon, he added.
However, the two countries have offered different explanations for the suspension, with Pakistan citing security concerns and Iran pointing to technical issues.
PAKISTAN, IRAN OFFER DIFFERENT EXPLANATIONS
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei also described the closure as temporary, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Baghaei attributed the suspension to technical issues and said the two countries were holding consultations to resolve the problem and restore normal operations.
The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI), meanwhile, said trade and commercial activities had been suspended across all border crossings between Pakistan and Iran.
Following the suspension order, the chamber advised businesses involved in trade with Iran to stop placing fresh import and export orders until further notice.
Hundreds of freight vehicles carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), rice, fresh fruit and other essential commodities have reportedly been stranded on both sides of the border.
Iran’s WANA news agency reported that passenger traffic through the Rimdan-Gabd crossing remained operational, even as commercial activities were suspended.
LPG SUPPLIES FACE POTENTIAL DISRUPTION
The suspension has raised concerns over energy supplies, particularly LPG, as the Gabd-Rimdan crossing has emerged as a key route for Pakistan’s energy imports.
According to the Dawn newspaper, more than 4,000 tonnes of LPG are imported daily through the route.
The Taftan crossing has already faced disruptions amid unrest in Balochistan. The suspension of commercial supplies through Gabd-Rimdan could further constrain LPG availability and push up prices in Pakistan’s open market, the report said.
PAK-IRAN BORDER HAS FOUR OFFICIAL CROSSINGS
The 909-kilometre border between Pakistan’s Balochistan province and Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province has four official crossings: Taftan-Mirjaveh, Gabd-Rimdan, Mand and Chadgi.
The temporary suspension of trade at Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan has disrupted commercial movement along the border, while consultations between officials of the two countries continue to resolve the issues and restore normal trade operations.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
