Pakistan Opens Six Land Routes to Iran as Hormuz Disruption Bites

Pakistan has moved to create an overland commercial lifeline for trade with Iran after the federal government formally notified six transit routes for cargo movement amid the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and disruption at Iranian ports. The decision, issued through a statutory regulatory order by the Ministry of Commerce, came as thousands of containers meant for Iran remained stuck and uncertainty spread through shipping, customs and transport circles.

The new framework allows goods to move through Pakistani territory against an encashable bank guarantee, giving traders an alternative channel at a time when maritime routes have become unreliable. Officials designated corridors linking Gwadar, Karachi and Port Qasim with Gabd and Taftan through multiple road alignments across Balochistan. By shifting part of the traffic burden to land, Islamabad is attempting to keep trade from freezing altogether while wider regional instability continues to unsettle transport and supply chains.

The notified routes include Gwadar-Gabd, Karachi or Port Qasim through the coastal belt to Gabd, and additional inland corridors passing through Khuzdar, Dalbandin, Nokundi and Taftan. Another route runs from Gwadar through Turbat, Hoshab, Panjgur and Besima before connecting onward to Quetta and the Taftan crossing. The selection shows that the government is not relying on a single border passage but is instead building redundancy into the system so that cargo movement can continue even if one corridor faces congestion or security complications.

According to the official order, transport under the notification will remain subject to the Customs Act, 1969, as well as the rules and procedures laid down by the Federal Board of Revenue. The ministry also made clear that the arrangement applies to transit goods shipped from a third country and destined for Iran through Pakistan. In practical terms, this means Islamabad is not merely opening roads for bilateral truck movement, but putting in place a legal mechanism that could help reroute stranded international cargo at a moment of exceptional regional disruption.

The immediate pressure behind the move is the growing backlog at Pakistani ports. Reports indicate that more than 3,000 containers headed for Iran have been awaiting clearance in Karachi for days as shipping through Hormuz and Iranian ports has become difficult. For importers, exporters and logistics operators, that kind of delay can quickly translate into storage charges, delivery failures, contractual penalties and working-capital stress. The government’s order therefore appears aimed at preventing a commercial bottleneck from turning into a wider trade shock.

This decision also carries strategic significance for Pakistan. The country has long promoted its geography as an advantage for regional connectivity, but crises often determine whether that claim can be turned into practical utility. By activating road corridors for Iran-bound transit under a formal legal order, Pakistan is signaling that it wants to function not only as a neighbour reacting to events, but as a transport bridge capable of absorbing at least part of the region’s logistical strain when sea lanes come under pressure.

The background to the order lies in the wider conflict environment that has destabilised one of the world’s most sensitive energy and shipping zones. The Strait of Hormuz is central to global oil and gas trade in ordinary times, and any sustained interruption raises concerns far beyond the Gulf. For Pakistan, those concerns are especially serious because the same regional turmoil has already affected fuel costs, LNG procurement and broader economic confidence. Trade with Iran is therefore intersecting with a much larger debate over how Pakistan protects its economy when conflict disrupts the neighbourhood.

Businesses inside Pakistan will also be watching how smoothly the new order is implemented. Road-based alternatives can help move cargo, but they require coordination on customs clearance, border handling, security, documentation and trucking capacity. If these elements are managed well, the policy could ease pressure not only on Iranian-bound consignments but also on port operations in Karachi and Gwadar. If implementation is slow or fragmented, however, the measure may offer only partial relief while costs continue to mount across the supply chain.

In the coming days, attention will shift to whether the designated routes begin functioning at scale and whether the backlog of Iran-bound containers starts to clear. Much will depend on border management, regional security conditions and the duration of maritime disruption. For now, Pakistan’s decision marks one of its clearest economic responses to the current crisis: a bid to keep trade moving by road when the sea has become too uncertain to trust.