The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has officially suspended all Afghan Transit Trade from ports of Karachi, along with a directive to implement new technology-driven protocols to alleviate severe terminal congestion at Port Qasim and Karachi Port, according to multiple orders issued by FBR.
The directive was issued during a meeting on the security fallout from recent unrest at the Pak-Afghan border, chaired by the Director General at the Custom House, Karachi.
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Effective immediately, all gate passes for Afghan Transit consignments have been cancelled, and clearance of all such cargo has been suspended at both Karachi Port and Port Qasim.
As per Office Order 98 of 2025, the suspension was prompted by the recent closure of the Pak-Afghan border, which has caused a massive buildup of cargo at Karachi’s terminals and border customs stations.
Transportation of Afghan Transit containers will remain suspended till the resumption of trade activities at the border customs stations with Afghanistan.
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Junaid Makda, President of the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce, stated that 291 containers of Afghan transit cargo are stuck at Karachi Port and Port Qasim.
Furthermore, 500 containers are stranded at the Chaman border, 400 at the Torkham border, 100 at Ghulam Khan, and 100 at Kharlachi. Additionally, hundreds more containers are waiting on ships to be unloaded.
Makda reported that traders on both sides are now selling food items at half price. He stated that the suspension of the Afghan Transit Trade is causing a daily loss of one billion rupees. Under the Afghan Transit Trade, a two-way movement of one thousand containers normally occurs daily. “All warehouses established at Torkham are already full”, added Makda.
The goods in the Afghan transit pipeline include electronics, electrical items, machinery, home appliances, home textiles, confectionery, and chocolates, along with other perishable items. Traders on both sides have already incurred losses amounting to billions of rupees over the past four days.
The Director of Transit Quetta and the Director of Transit Peshawar stated that both customs stations working under their jurisdictions have reached optimum capacity and cannot accommodate more containers.
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In a parallel move detailed in Office Order 97 of 2025, the authorities have mandated strict new technological requirements to tackle the congestion crippling port operations. The decision was made after terminal operators complained of a lack of coordination with tracking companies, leading to vehicles being parked indefinitely without confirmed orders or paid tracking devices.
The new procedure will not allow any bonded vehicle to enter a port unless a Prime-over Device (PMD) is installed by a licensed tracking company. The tracking company is obliged to confirm the payment of trip charges and the availability of the Container Surveillance Device (CSD) to the terminal operator before gate-in is permitted. This measure is designed to create a seamless, electronically verified process to prevent delays and reduce the logjam of trucks inside the port terminals.
The directives represent a significant intervention by authorities to manage a growing logistical and security crisis, bringing Afghan Transit trade to a standstill while attempting to untangle the congestion that has built up at the country’s primary economic gateways.
