Iran says Pakistan trade disrupted by E-Form changes, not border closure

Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan Reza Amiri Moghaddam has denied reports of the closure of Iranian borders to Pakistan, saying there are no restrictions on Iranian exports, including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

In a statement, Moghaddam said Iran’s borders with all neighbouring countries remained open and that closing them to neighbouring countries, particularly Pakistan, would serve neither side’s interests.

He said changes in Pakistan’s implementation of the E-Form procedure for imports from Iran had left traders unable to dispatch cargo to Pakistan.

Consultations with Pakistani authorities were under way to resolve the issue, he added.

Moghaddam said several hundred trucks carrying LPG had crossed the Rimdan border into Gabd on the Pakistani side but had remained there for several weeks without being unloaded or cleared.

The delay had further complicated the movement of goods and the smooth flow of bilateral trade, he said.

The ambassador said cross-border trade was an integral part of bilateral agreements reached at the highest levels and served the mutual interests of both countries and their people.

Iran had made every possible effort to facilitate and promote bilateral trade and would continue working closely with Pakistani counterparts to resolve existing challenges, facilitate the movement of goods and strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries, he said.