Pakistan ends 6-Decade-Old ‘Border Corridor’ System with Iran; What will be the impacts?

2026-02-18 - 14:33

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan ended six-decade-old “border corridor system” with Iran, effective within the next one to two months. After decades of free cross-border movement, travel between Pakistan and Iran will now require passports and visas only, a shift that is set to send shockwaves through border communities, traders, and families divided by the border. Ending of decades old corridor system will make cross-border movement more organized and strictly regulated. But residents of border districts and local traders are already calling it a “devastating blow” to their social and economic lives. The corridor system allowed residents of border areas on both sides to travel freely without passports or visas, using only a “corridor permit.” This permit, issued by district authorities, allowed limited-duration travel twice a year in the five Balochistan districts bordering Iran: Chagai, Washuk, Panjgur, Kech, and Gwadar. Over time, both countries had gradually tightened and computerized the system to prevent fraud. Yet it remained a lifeline for families, businesses, and local trade, even in recent years when Iran travel via land became restricted after June 2025 due to regional tensions. The move aligns with Pakistan’s One Document Regime (ODR), already implemented on the Afghanistan border in November 2023, which has triggered protests in Chaman for the past two years. Under ODR, no one can cross borders without passports and visas, aiming to eliminate illegal movement, smuggling, and financing of terrorism. Balochistan’s Additional Chief Secretary (Home), Hamza Shafqat, said the system will be fully ended in one to two months, with no exact date yet announced. He emphasized that passport issuance for border residents will be free and simplified, and border gate timings may be extended to boost legal trade. Residents warn that the end of the corridor system will devastate local economies and families, saying corridor system has become harder to use, it remains a lifeline for families divided by the border. Its removal will make meeting relatives almost impossible. There is trade impact, with international sanctions on Iran and regional tensions have already made cross-border trade difficult. Traders are blocked from land travel to Iran despite having valid visas, while travelers from Iran can enter Pakistan—an “illogical and unfair” policy, he said. Meanwhile, Pakistani government justifies the move as part of a broader “Spectrum of Illegal Activities” strategy targeting Cross-border smuggling of drugs, fuel, and non-custom-paid vehicles, illegal trade networks financing terrorism and Smuggling-enabled attacks like the January 31, 2025, Noshki massacre, where 27 people were killed and funding traced to opium profits. To combat terrorism and smuggling, both countries have fortified the border with trenches, concrete walls, iron fences, and watchtowers. Pakistan’s 12-foot-high iron fence, begun in 2019, is now 90% complete. The border, spanning over 900 km, is home to a large Baloch population with deep family and business ties across the border. Ending the corridor system could: sever centuries-old social connections, force residents to take long, costly flights instead of simple land crossings, besides restricting trade and investment, as seen at the Gabd–Ramdan crossing near Gwadar, where hotels and restaurants have already been abandoned due to immigration closures. Pakistan, Iran reaffirm commitment to strengthen agricultural cooperation