The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Uzbekistan has begun shipping cargo through Pakistan’s newly established overland trade corridors that bypass Afghanistan, marking a shift in regional transit routes following the closure of Pakistan’s main Afghan border crossings, according to Uzbekistani media.
The Uzbekistani outlet Podrobno reported that Tashkent has started using the route through the Gabd-Rimdan border crossing with Iran to transport agricultural machinery and industrial raw materials. The corridors, launched in April 2026, provide Central Asian countries with alternative access to Pakistan’s ports and international markets.
Pakistan developed the new routes through Iran’s Gabd-Rimdan crossing and through the Sost Dry Port on the border with China after indefinitely closing the Torkham and Chaman border crossings with Afghanistan in October 2025, citing security concerns.
According to Podrobno, more than 14,000 metric tons of cargo have already moved through the two corridors.
The outlet said senior officials from Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan attended a coordination ceremony in Karachi marking the launch of one of the routes.
The first truck convoy carried frozen meat and other export goods to Tashkent and Bishkek via Iran. Pakistan also sent its first export shipment from the Karachi Free Economic Zone to Kyrgyzstan through the Sost Dry Port under the international TIR road transit system.
Podrobno reported that the 3,300-kilometer (2,050-mile) Bishkek-Karachi corridor, operating under the Quadrilateral Traffic in Transit Agreement, has completed its first two-way commercial shipments, with Kyrgyz transport companies delivering minerals and textiles to Pakistan.
Separately, Pakistan’s Hemani Group transported a 23.9-ton shipment to Kyrgyzstan using Pakistan’s Single Window electronic customs platform, which digitizes cross-border customs documentation.
The report said the new network expands the use of both the TIR transit system and Pakistan’s Single Window customs platform, which officials hope will reduce border processing times and facilitate regional trade.
Podrobno added that Pakistan is also expanding the role of Gwadar Deep-Sea Port under the second phase of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, positioning the port to handle growing cargo volumes as Central Asian trade routes continue to diversify away from Afghanistan.
