What happened
According to Dawn, Pakistan reopened its Gabd-Rimdan border crossing with Iran on Saturday, restoring bilateral trade after a weeklong suspension. Cross-border commercial movement at the crossing, also known as Gate 250 in Gwadar, had been halted since Oct 17. The trade stoppage occurred after Pakistan's Ministry of Commerce suddenly withdrew an Oct 3 trade order. The underlying reason for the ministry's decision was not specified in the source; please check the official notice.
The reopening was authorized after local authorities reviewed security in the area and deployed extra security forces to safeguard trade convoys. This step followed an attack on Thursday by unidentified gunmen who targeted parked freight trucks near the closed crossing, setting dozens on fire and damaging others.
Key facts
- Border officials are clearing commercial consignments that hold consignment notes dated Oct 16 or earlier.
- Gwadar Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Mir Naveed Jan Kalmati confirmed that import and export vehicles resumed operations on Saturday morning.
- The initial trade suspension impacted both the Gabd-Rimdan and Taftan border points.
- Additional security forces were assigned to protect commercial vehicles after gunmen torched and damaged stranded freight trucks during the trade halt.
Why it matters
According to Dawn, the reopening offers prompt relief to merchants and drivers who were stranded on both sides of the border during the weeklong closure. Kalmati noted that allowing stranded shipments of basic food commodities and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to move again is expected to help relieve a nationwide LPG shortage while lowering high energy and food prices across Pakistan.
Source: Dawn - Home · Published October 25, 2026 · Photo by hami moallemi on Unsplash