The Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Sunday urged traders and people affected by the closure of the Pakistan-Iran border not to believe any “negative propaganda”, expressing hope that the situation would improve soon.
The appeal came as cross-border commercial activities between Pakistan and Iran were suddenly halted at the Taftan border crossing on Saturday following the unexpected closure of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) immigration gate and withdrawal of an important import waiver, leaving traders concerned over potential multi-million-rupee financial losses.
According to a statement issued by the president of the Quetta Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the president, while in contact with senior officials regarding the closure of the borders adjoining Iran, informed the Ministry of Commerce about the difficulties being faced by traders, importers and other businesses.
Read: Trade at Taftan comes to a grinding halt
The statement said the Ministry of Commerce assured the chamber that the border closure was on technical and temporary grounds, with the sole purpose of addressing incidents involving vehicles on the Pakistan-Iran highway in recent days and issues faced at customs.
The chamber urged all traders and people affected by the border closures to remain hopeful that the situation would improve soon and not to believe any “baseless negative propaganda” in this regard.
Sources said the immigration gate at Taftan — a vital commercial artery connecting the two neighbouring countries — was closed on the instructions of senior officials in Islamabad.
However, the exact reasons behind the decision remain undisclosed, and authorities have yet to issue an official notification explaining the suspension or providing a timeline for reopening.
The border closure coincided with regulatory developments from the Ministry of Commerce.
On Friday, the ministry issued an office memorandum, No. 9(3)/2017-IRAN, withdrawing its earlier order dated Oct 3, which had extended the Electronic Import Form (EIF) waiver for imports from Iran.
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Responding to the evolving situation, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Quetta, Balochistan, issued an urgent advisory to its members and the broader business community, recommending a temporary suspension of all new purchases, product bookings and trade commitments from Iran.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, commenting on reports about the closure of the land border with Pakistan, said: “Due to certain technical issues and the need to take precautionary measures, border crossings and exchanges have been temporarily suspended. However, the relevant authorities of the two countries are in close contact and are holding consultations to resolve the issue as soon as possible and restore normal operations at the border crossings.”
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