Pakistan has opened two new overland trade corridors through Iran and China, offering Central Asian countries alternative routes to Pakistani ports after Islamabad shut its main transit crossings with Afghanistan in response to persistent cross-border militancy. The corridors became operational in April 2026 and run through Iran's Gabd-Rimdan border crossing and China's Sost Dry Port. They were introduced after Pakistan indefinitely closed the Torkham and Chaman crossings less than a year ago, in October 2025, following what officials described as ongoing security threats from Afghan territory.
More than 14,000 metric tons of cargo have already moved through the two routes. One corridor was formally inaugurated during a coordination ceremony in Karachi attended by senior representatives from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Pakistan presented the routes as a permanent alternative for Central Asian countries seeking access to global markets without relying on Afghan transit.
The Security Calculation
The decision to close the Torkham and Chaman crossings wasn't arbitrary. It followed what Pakistani officials characterized as persistent cross-border militancy that threatened both commercial traffic and border security. By routing trade through Iran and China instead, Pakistan has effectively isolated Afghanistan from a critical economic corridor while maintaining its own connectivity to Central Asia. The first convoy carried frozen meat and other exports to Tashkent and Bishkek through Iran. Pakistan also dispatched its first export shipment from the Karachi Export Processing Zone to Kyrgyzstan via the Sost Dry Port under the TIR regime.
The 3,300-kilometer Bishkek-Karachi corridor, operating under the Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement, has since completed its first reciprocal commercial shipments, with Kyrgyz transport fleets delivering minerals and textiles to Pakistan. Separately, the Hemani Group transported a 23.9-tonne consignment to Kyrgyzstan using the Pakistan Single Window electronic customs system.
Gwadar's Expanding Role
The new corridors provide Central Asian countries, including Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, with overland access to the Arabian Sea through Pakistan while bypassing Afghanistan entirely. Uzbekistan has already begun using the Gabd-Rimdan route to transport agricultural equipment and industrial raw materials. Pakistan is also expanding the role of Gwadar Port within Phase 2 of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. Located about 400 kilometers east of the Strait of Hormuz, the port is expected to handle increasing cargo volumes moving through the new land corridors as regional trade routes continue to diversify.
The new network also expands the use of the TIR transit regime and the Pakistan Single Window system, which electronically processes customs documentation for cross-border shipments. The infrastructure investment signals Pakistan's bet that Central Asian trade will flow through its territory rather than Afghanistan's for the foreseeable future.
Regional Realignment
The corridor launch represents a significant shift in South and Central Asian connectivity. Afghanistan, which once positioned itself as a natural bridge between Central Asia and the Arabian Sea, now finds itself economically sidelined. The routes through Iran and China aren't temporary workarounds—they're being presented as permanent alternatives backed by formal agreements and substantial infrastructure investment. For Central Asian states, the calculus is straightforward: predictable access to ports trumps shorter routes through unstable territory.
Pakistan's ability to offer this alternative rests on its partnerships with both Iran and China, two countries with their own strategic interests in limiting Afghan influence and expanding regional trade networks that bypass Western-aligned routes. The Gabd-Rimdan crossing through Iran and the Sost Dry Port in China provide the physical infrastructure. The TIR regime and Pakistan Single Window system provide the regulatory framework. Together, they've created a functioning alternative to Afghan transit in less than a year.
Why This Matters:
Pakistan's decision to permanently reroute Central Asian trade away from Afghanistan reflects a hardening security posture driven by cross-border militancy that Islamabad determined it could no longer tolerate. The new corridors through Iran and China aren't just about commerce—they're about demonstrating that countries harboring militants pay economic costs while those maintaining security attract investment and trade. For Central Asian states, the operational success of these routes proves that connectivity to global markets doesn't require transit through Afghanistan, fundamentally altering the region's economic geography. The expansion of Gwadar Port and the formalization of the TIR regime signal that this realignment is permanent, not provisional. Afghanistan's loss is Pakistan's gain, and the message to other regional actors is clear: security guarantees matter more than geographic proximity when countries choose their trade partners.