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Arab News
2 days ago
- Business
- Arab News
Pakistan eases visa rules for Afghan transporters, drivers to improve trade amid deportation drive
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will issue multiple-entry visas valid for one year to Afghan drivers and transporters to facilitate cross-border trade, its embassy in Kabul announced on Friday, amid an ongoing campaign to deport undocumented Afghan nationals. Afghan drivers play a vital role in bilateral and transit trade between the two countries. Under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA), Afghan transporters are allowed to move goods between Pakistani ports and their countries major cities like Kandahar, Jalalabad and Kabul. The Pakistan government's decision to issue visas comes at a time when the government has repatriated 979,486 Afghan nationals since launching a deportation drive in 2023 over security concerns. 'The Government of Pakistan has decided to issue multiple-entry visas of one-year validity to Afghan drivers and transporters,' the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul said in a post on X. 'The visa fee for this category would be $100.' Government of Pakistan has decided to issue multiple-entry visas of one-year validity to Afghan drivers and transporters. The visa fee for this category would be USD 100. Please apply for Work (Transit/Transport) visa at * Applicants are required to… — Pakistan Embassy Afghanistan (@PakinAfg) June 20, 2025 The new visa policy is likely to benefit ongoing trade flows, especially as Pakistan remains a primary corridor for Afghanistan's access to international markets. Afghan trucks are permitted to transport goods under the APTTA framework, including third-country imports destined for Afghanistan. Applicants for the new visa will be required to upload a photograph, a scanned copy of their passport, Afghanistan's national identity document, a valid temporary admission document, an employment letter from a registered transport company or an authority letter from a transport operator and a valid driving license. Pakistan's deportation policy in 2023 followed a spike in militant attacks, particularly in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province that borders Afghanistan. Islamabad has previously linked such attacks and other crimes to Afghan nationals, who make up the largest migrant population in the country, though Kabul has denied any nexus between the two. Despite tensions, both countries have recently taken steps to restore diplomatic ties at the ambassadorial level.
Express Tribune
14-06-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
Fertiliser reaches Gwadar via transit trade
Listen to article Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry on Saturday welcomed the successful berthing of the second Afghan transit trade ship at Gwadar Port. The vessel, carrying 20,000 metric tons of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) fertiliser, marks another milestone in enhancing regional trade connectivity. He noted that the fertiliser shipment originated from Townsville, Australia and represented the second successful docking under the revised Afghan transit trade framework, following the arrival of MV Beyond 2 on February 4, 2025. "This is part of our sustained efforts to operationalise Gwadar Port as a strategic trade gateway for landlocked Afghanistan," the minister remarked. "Gwadar's growing role in transit trade reflects our commitment to enabling smooth access for Afghanistan to international markets." He emphasised that the recent decision by the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) to replace the bank guarantee requirement with an insurance guarantee for Afghan transit trade through Gwadar had significantly improved ease of doing business and expedited cargo clearance processes. He added that the arrival of MV ASL Rose was a strong indicator of increasing international trust in Gwadar's operational readiness and infrastructure, highlighting Pakistan's role in promoting efficient and reliable transit trade in the region. Junaid Anwar directed Gwadar Port authorities to ensure quick berthing and seamless cargo unloading and reiterated that the port was fully equipped to handle rising volumes of transit goods under the Afghanistan-Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA). He expressed confidence that the development would help lower transit costs, increase trade efficiency and reinforce economic ties between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
