The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has suspended the transportation of Afghan transit trade consignments from Karachi Port indefinitely, cancelling all gate passes issued for the purpose. The decision has led to long queues of container-loaded vehicles at the ports, while trade activities at the Pakistan-Afghanistan Torkham border remain suspended.

According to sources, the decision was made during an important meeting at the Directorate of Transit Trade Headquarters, Customs House Karachi, chaired by the Director General of Afghan Transit Trade. Following the meeting, a Customs General Order was issued, stating that all transportation under the Afghan transit trade has been halted for an indefinite period.

The order further stated that container storage capacity at the Quetta and Peshawar customs stations has been exhausted. Therefore, loaded containers must be offloaded, and all Afghan transit passes have been cancelled until further notice.

Following the decision, both Karachi Port and Port Qasim terminals have stopped clearing Afghan transit trade shipments, leaving dozens of trucks and containers stranded.

Meanwhile, due to ongoing tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Torkham border remains closed for the fifth consecutive day, completely halting trade. The closure has stranded freight vehicles on both sides, causing severe hardship for traders and daily wage workers.

Representatives of the business community and the Customs Clearing Agents Association have urged the government to resolve the issue through dialogue rather than confrontation, stating,“We want peace, not conflict.”

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