New border corridor with Iran announced

Islamabad: The federal government has announced the opening of a new border corridor at the Pak-Iran border in Panjgur in cooperation with Iran, which will facilitate legitimate trade activities between the two countries, discourage the smuggling of goods, and provide employment and business opportunities to people living along the border of the two countries.

According to a media report, the new trade route in the Kohak Chidagi area will boost business activities in the Panjgur area of ​​Balochistan.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued a notification to open the fourth official border crossing point between Pakistan and Iran in the Kohak Chidagi area of ​​Panjgur.

In a letter signed by Secretary Transit and Border Trade Zubair Shah, the Collectorate of Customs, Gwadar, has been directed to take necessary steps in the Kohak Chidagi area of ​​the Panjgur border crossing point and to liaise with relevant stakeholders and departments to ensure the development of the required infrastructure in the area immediately.

The FBR letter said that a progress report should also be submitted in this regard.

The Balochistan business community has welcomed the federal government’s initiative to open a new border crossing at the Pak-Iran border in Kohak Chidagi to facilitate legitimate trade activities.

Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Muhammad Ayub Mirani, Senior Vice President Haji Akhtar Kakar, and other leaders of the chamber have welcomed the new border crossing.

They said that the establishment of this crossing point was a long-standing demand of Balochistan traders and efforts were made at various forums to open this border crossing to increase trade activities.

After the federal government issued a notification to open this new trade route, formal trade between the two countries will now begin, which will provide employment opportunities to the local people and promote business activities.

Moreover, the opening of the new border crossing will facilitate traders engaged in legitimate import and export business and discourage the smuggling of goods between the two countries.

In December, Pakistan and Iran inaugurated the Gabd-Ramadan border crossing to enhance trade and people-to-people exchanges.

The border crossing point between Ramadan in Iran’s southeastern Sistan province and Gabd in Pakistan’s Balochistan province is located approximately 120km from the Iranian port of Chabahar and 70km from Gwadar port.

At the time, the Foreign Office explained that the Gabd-Ramadan and other proposed border crossing points aim to enhance ‘people-to-people contacts’ and facilitate travel and trade between the two countries.

The Foreign Office said, ‘discussions have been held between Pakistan and Iran at various levels on the opening of the Gabd-Ramadan crossing point.’