Pakistan Tightens Customs Controls on Afghan Goods

DID Press: Pakistan issued a formal directive to intensify inspections of Afghan goods entering the country through unofficial routes, marking a new phase of trade restrictions that coincides with escalating border tensions and the continued closure of major crossings. The move is expected to directly impact bilateral commerce and increase operating costs for Afghan traders.

According to Pakistani media reports, Islamabad has instructed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and the Customs Department to strengthen field monitoring of Afghan imports moving through non-authorized land routes. The order—addressed specifically to the Chief Collector of Customs (Appraisement), Balochistan, Quetta—stresses that, given the current situation in which formal border crossings remain closed due to security frictions, oversight of informal routes should be treated as an “operational priority.”

Analysts say the decision tightens the economic pressure on Afghanistan traders, who are already affected by the disruption of regular trade flows following the shutdown of official crossings. Enhanced inspections and restrictions could further increase the cost and risk of using alternative routes.

In a reciprocal move, Taliban authorities recently announced that they will suspend imports of Pakistani medicines and goods for the next three months, urging Afghan traders to shift to alternative corridors through Iran, Central Asia, and India.

Experts warn that the continuation of such retaliatory policies risks deepening the economic and political rift between the two countries and could pose serious challenges to regional trade connectivity—particularly at a time when Afghanistan’s reliance on stable and diversified import routes is more critical than ever.