The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has officially suspended all Afghan transit trade from Karachi ports, along with a directive to implement new technology-driven protocols to alleviate severe terminal congestion at Port Qasim and Karachi, according to multiple orders issued by FBR.
The directive was issued during a meeting on the security implications of the recent unrest on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, chaired by the Director General at Customs in Karachi.
Read: Explained: Pakistan-Afghanistan border conflict
With immediate effect, all entry passes for Afghan transit shipments were canceled and clearance of all such cargo at both Karachi Port and Qasim Port was suspended.
According to Office Order 98 of 2025, the suspension was triggered by the recent closure of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which has led to a massive build-up of cargo at border terminals and customs stations in Karachi.
The transportation of Afghan transit containers will remain suspended until commercial activities resume at customs stations bordering Afghanistan.
Read more: Lack of implementation of the National Action Plan is allowing an increase in terrorism: DG ISPR
Junaid Makda, president of the Pakistan-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce, said 291 containers of Afghan transit cargo are stuck at Karachi and Qasim ports.
Besides, 500 containers are stranded at Chaman border, 400 at Torkham border, 100 at Ghulam Khan and 100 at Kharlachi. Additionally, hundreds more containers are waiting to be unloaded by ships.
Makda reported that merchants on both sides now sell food at half price. He claimed that the suspension of Afghan transit trade causes a daily loss of one billion rupees. Within the framework of the Afghan Transit Trade, a bidirectional movement of a thousand containers normally occurs daily. “All the warehouses in Torkham are already full,” Makda added.
Goods on the Afghan transit pipeline include electronics, electrical goods, machinery, household appliances, home textiles, confectionery and chocolates, along with other perishable items. Traders on both sides have already suffered losses worth billions of rupees in the last four days.
Director of Traffic Quetta and Director of Traffic Peshawar stated that both customs stations working under their jurisdictions have reached their optimal capacity and cannot accommodate any more containers.
Also read: More than 200 Afghan soldiers killed and 23 soldiers martyred in retaliation attacks on Afghanistan: ISPR
In a parallel measure detailed in Office Order 97 of 2025, authorities have imposed strict new technological requirements to address 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 for tracking devices.
The new procedure will not allow any customs vehicle to enter a port unless a priming device (PMD) is installed by an authorized tracking company. The tracking company is required to confirm payment of travel expenses and availability of Container Surveillance Device (CSD) to the terminal operator before entry is allowed. This measure is designed to create a seamless, electronically verified process to avoid delays and reduce truck jams within port terminals.
The directives represent a major intervention by authorities to manage a growing logistics and security crisis, paralyzing Afghan transit trade as they try to untangle congestion that has built up at the country’s main economic gateways.
