ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced that vehicles registered in Azerbaijan will be allowed to enter Pakistan to transport transit and bilateral trade cargo.
The FBR has issued SRO.2016(I)/2024 to notify the draft Azerbaijan-Pakistan Transit Trade Rules 2024, under the Azerbaijan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement. The rules apply to transit trade cargo processed through Karachi Port, Port Muhammad Bin Qasim, and Gwadar Port.
The agreement also covers cargo from Azerbaijan destined for other countries through these ports.
Azerbaijan-registered vehicles, holding valid permits, will be allowed entry into Pakistan without providing financial security for duties and taxes on the vehicles. This arrangement is based on reciprocity between Azerbaijan and Pakistan.
All transport operators and Customs clearing agents handling transit goods must open and maintain a “Revolving Insurance Guarantee PD Account” with Customs. The Directorate General Reforms and Automation in Karachi will generate user IDs for the focal person of Azerbaijan’s relevant ministry to register traders, government organizations, United Nations agencies, and diplomatic missions with Pakistan’s Customs Computerized System.
Foreign entities, including traders and organizations, must complete an electronic registration form submitted through Azerbaijan’s ministry. Vehicles used for transporting transit and bilateral goods must be licensed by authorities in both countries and carry valid permits issued in the prescribed format.
The Directorate of Transit Trade in Peshawar, Quetta, and Gwadar will issue and regulate these permits at respective border stations. If foreign vehicles lack trackers in their prime movers, an FBR-approved company will install GPS tracking devices on the containers or vehicles for monitoring.
All vehicles carrying transit cargo to and from Azerbaijan will need to register at designated locations along their route.
