ECONOMY — April 13, 2026
Pakistan Reroutes Central Asia Exports via Gwadar and Iran After Torkham, Chaman Closure
Pakistan has closed the Torkham and Chaman borders with Afghanistan after clashes and is now routing exports to Central Asia via Gwadar and Iran, including an initial meat shipment to Uzbekistan. The move is expected to benefit Pakistan's economy, while traders suffer losses and the Taliban increases trade with neighbors.
The Ehtebar Desk — originates with Afghanistan International — 2 min read
Pakistan closed the Torkham and Chaman border crossings with Afghanistan on 20 Miizan 1404 following clashes between Taliban forces and Pakistani troops.
The closures have prompted Pakistan to divert its exports destined for Central Asia through the port of Gwadar and Iran. Sanaullah Abro, a Pakistani customs official, told the Express Tribune that an initial shipment of meat was sent to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, using refrigerated trucks via Gwadar and Iran. Abro stated that Pakistan plans to transport further export shipments to Central Asian countries using this new corridor.
He added that operationalizing the corridor would accelerate Pakistan's economic growth and increase port traffic at Gwadar. Prior to the border closures, Pakistan had been routing part of its exports to Central Asia through Afghanistan.
The shutdown of Torkham and Chaman has caused significant economic damage to traders on both sides of the border. It has also led the Taliban to boost trade with Iran and Uzbekistan.
Read the original reporting at Afghanistan International →
Reliability assessment
Single source with direct, on-record attribution from named Pakistani customs official Sanaullah Abro to Express Tribune newspaper, including concrete details (meat shipment to Tashkent via refrigerated trucks through Gwadar/Iran). Border closure details are consistently reported in context.
The source language reads straight.
Independent web corroboration
A separate web search returned 8 matching reports. A selection:
Pakistan has marked a new milestone in its transit and logistics sector as <strong>the first refrigerated (reefer) TIR export shipment from Karachi was launched via the Iran corridor en route to Central Asia</strong>.
Across the newsrooms
Filed by
Afghanistan International
Originating
Reported straight
Reported straight
Filed under
Economy — Pakistan, Torkham, Chaman, Gwadar, Taliban
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