The federal government has taken a significant step to address the issue of stranded Afghan transit trade cargo by granting permission for the re-export of all such shipments. The Ministry of Commerce has issued an exemption from paragraph 6(4) of the Import Policy Order 2022, allowing Afghan transit cargoes to be sent back to Afghanistan.
According to a news report, the Ministry of Commerce has communicated the decision to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in a letter, directing the FBR to facilitate the re-export process. The re-export will apply to cargoes currently stranded at Karachi Port, Gwadar Port, and various border crossing points, including Torkham and Chaman.
Since October 12, 2025, Pakistan had closed the Torkham and Chaman border crossing points for commercial activities indefinitely due to security concerns, leaving a significant amount of Afghan transit cargo stranded in the country. The new decision aims to resolve this backlog by allowing the cargoes to be sent back through any seaport.
The Ministry of Commerce’s letter to the FBR emphasized the need for re-export options through various seaports, ensuring flexibility in the process for the stranded shipments. This move is expected to ease the burden on Pakistan’s ports and improve the flow of trade between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
