Pakistan allows transit of foreign goods to Iran through its territory

The government issued the Transit of Goods Order 2026, legally enabling the transit of goods through Pakistan to Iran, under an established law and regulation regime, according to a notification made on Sunday.

Issued under the Import and Export (Control) Act, 1950, and being in accordance with the 2008 Pakistan-Iran agreement on international road transport of passengers and goods, the order is now effective from its issuance date onwards.

“Pakistan Transit of Goods Order 2026 shall be enforced forthwith,” the notification read.

The notification further revealed that certain new transit corridors have been declared under the order, with Gwadar, Karachi and Taftan as transit cargo routes.

Transit was explained in the order as the carriage of goods through the territories of Pakistan for the purposes of completing a journey which started and will end beyond those territories, while the transit transport corridor was defined as a transit corridor for the carriage of transit goods.

It also included the concept of cross-stuffing, which referred to the movement of cargo from one mode of transportation to another in adherence with customs laws, and customs security, which pertained to an en-cashable financial guarantee that was equivalent to the applicable duties imposed during imports.

The order was applicable to cargo shipped from third countries to Iran via Pakistan.

Several transit routes have been demarcated for the passage of cargo, which include the transit route connecting Gwadar and Gabd; the transit route connecting Karachi and Port Qasim through various inland and coastal routes like Ormara, Pasni, and Khuzdar to Taftan; and others involving Turbat, Hoshab, Panjgur, Quetta, Nokundi, and Dalbandin.

The notification further mentioned that transit cargo would be managed according to the Customs Act, 1969, along with pertinent guidelines issued by the FBR, making it compulsory to submit financial guarantees for the cargo being transited through the country.

The Ministry of Commerce further clarified that goods shipped from third countries and intended for Iran would be permitted to transit through Pakistan through the new protocol.

It added that Gwadar port would also play its part in carrying out commercial transit under the new system.