ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly on Thursday passed “The Pakistan Land Port Authority Bill 2025” with several amendments aimed at facilitating the movement of goods and passengers and boosting trade at land ports across the country.Â
Minister of State for Interior, Talal Chaudhry, presented the bill in the Lower House of the Parliament, which was approved with a majority vote after amendments proposed by Naveed Qamar of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
With the bill’s passage, Pakistan will join Bangladesh and India in having a dedicated land port authority. Bangladesh established its Land Port Authority in 2002, and India followed in March 2012.
Qamar introduced 18 amendments to the bill, which were incorporated into the final version before being passed by the House. MNA Ali Zahid, who chaired the session, ordered a clause-by-clause reading of the bill, during which Qamar raised concerns regarding some clauses, which were addressed during the debate.
The proposed legislation seeks to establish a comprehensive framework for declaring, regulating, securing, and overseeing all land ports in Pakistan. It aims to promote trade, ensure border control, and protect the country’s strategic interests. The bill outlines the creation of a 16-member governing council to supervise the newly formed authority.
The bill also outlines the need for better coordination with border agencies, improving trade facilitation and enhancing land port efficiency, in line with international agreements. Currently, the absence of a single agency overseeing operations at international border points has resulted in delays in goods and passenger movement.
Once enacted, the Pakistan Land Port Authority will help streamline operations at border points, improve coordination, and make Pakistan more competitive in regional land port services.
