Pakistan has opened two fresh overland trade routes via Iran and China that give Central Asian states new options for reaching its harbors after the closure of primary transit points with Afghanistan amid ongoing security worries.

The routes started functioning in April 2026 and pass through Iran's Gabd-Rimdan crossing along with China's Sost Dry Port.

They were set up after Pakistan shut the Torkham and Chaman crossings indefinitely in October 2025 because of repeated cross-border attacks.

Over 14,000 metric tons of goods have moved along these paths so far.

One route was officially opened at a meeting in Karachi with top officials from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

A new path for Central Asia to reach world markets

Pakistan has positioned the routes as a lasting option for Central Asian states to reach international markets without depending on Afghan transit.

The opening convoy carried frozen meat and other goods to Tashkent and Bishkek through Iran.

Pakistan also sent its first export load from the Karachi Export Processing Zone to Kyrgyzstan via the Sost Dry Port under the TIR system.

The 3,300-kilometer Bishkek-Karachi route under the Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement has now finished its first mutual commercial trips, with Kyrgyz fleets bringing minerals and textiles into Pakistan.

In a separate move the Hemani Group moved a 23.9-tonne shipment to Kyrgyzstan using the Pakistan Single Window electronic customs platform.

The corridors give Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan overland links to the Arabian Sea through Pakistan without crossing Afghanistan.

Uzbekistan has started using the Gabd-Rimdan route to ship farm equipment and industrial materials.

Pakistan is also increasing the role of Gwadar Port in Phase 2 of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. The port lies roughly 400 kilometers east of the Strait of Hormuz and is set to manage rising cargo flows through the new land routes as regional trade patterns shift.

The network further boosts use of the TIR transit system and the Pakistan Single Window platform that handles customs paperwork electronically for cross-border loads.