Pakistan Grants Entry to 150 Afghan Trucks Through Wagah Border Despite Ongoing Trade Suspension with India
ISLAMABAD – In a rare diplomatic gesture amid strained regional ties, Pakistan has permitted 150 Afghan trucks to cross into India via the Wagah Border, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Thursday.
The move comes after the Afghan embassy in Islamabad formally requested clearance for stranded transit containers on April 28. In response, Pakistan allowed entry for vehicles that had arrived prior to April 25.
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A verified list of 150 trucks was provided by the Afghan diplomatic mission and has been forwarded to relevant Pakistani authorities for processing.
Background: Trade Freeze Between Pakistan and India
The development unfolds despite Pakistan’s continued suspension of trade and transit ties with India, which were formally halted on April 24 following a National Security Committee meeting. The suspension came in reaction to India’s accusations linking Pakistan to a recent deadly attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir.
Pakistan-India trade has remained virtually frozen since February 2019, when New Delhi imposed heavy tariffs on Pakistani imports after the Pulwama attack. Tensions further escalated in August 2019, when India revoked Article 370, stripping Jammu and Kashmir of its special constitutional status, prompting Pakistan to terminate all formal trade relations.
A Diplomatic Exception for Humanitarian Flow
While the broader ban remains intact, Pakistan’s latest move appears to be a one-time humanitarian or diplomatic exception aimed at easing logistical bottlenecks for Afghanistan, a landlocked neighbor that relies on transit access through Pakistan for regional trade.
