Director Transit Trade Customs Sanaullah Abro told The Express Tribune that the maiden shipment — frozen meat — was sent to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, using refrigerated trucks.

He noted that under the new arrangement, goods from Pakistan will move through Gwadar, cross into Iran, and then proceed toward Central Asian destinations.

Abro said the launch of the corridor is expected to stimulate Pakistan’s economic growth and boost freight movement through the country’s ports.

According to the Directorate of Transit Trade Customs, the corridor operates under the TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) system.

To facilitate this, authorities have streamlined TIR procedures and activated major border points, including Taftan, Rimdan, Sost, and Gwadar.

Officials describe the Iran-Pakistan transit corridor as an important advancement for Pakistan’s trade and transit sectors, with the potential to expand exports and strengthen regional connectivity.

Sources added that the route will offer Pakistan a cost-efficient alternative to maritime trade, reducing transport times and significantly cutting logistics expenses.

At an inauguration ceremony, Abro and Director Transit Muhammad Rashid formally flagged off the first consignment.

Meanwhile, optimism is growing that Iran and Pakistan might revive their long-stalled gas and oil pipeline projects following recent peace talks between Iran and the United States.

Iran and Pakistan signed a commercial agreement in 2009 during the PPP government, and the gas pipeline was jointly inaugurated in 2013 by former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and former Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari.

While Iran has completed its part of the pipeline, Pakistan has yet to begin construction.

Officials say Iran is open to extending the gas sale agreement by 10 years, but Pakistan remains reluctant due to US sanctions and reduced domestic gas demand.

Pakistan has explored several alternative plans over the years, including an LNG pipeline from Gwadar with an additional 80-km stretch to the Iranian border.

A Chinese firm showed interest in the project, but international sanctions have continued to impede progress.