Gwadar: The first consignment of bulk cargo from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), intended as part of the transit trade to Afghanistan, reached Gwadar port on Sunday — a news source reported.
According to Pakistan’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan Mohammad Sadiq, additional consignments are expected soon. Sadiq also called the development a major milestone for Gwadar’s credentials as a transit city.
The containers will now be loaded onto trucks and transported to Afghanistan after being cleared by Customs. The cargo is then expected to pass into Afghanistan through the Pakistani border town of Chaman.
Traditionally, Afghanistan has utilised Pakistan’s land and sea routes via Karachi and Port Qasim for international trade through an agreement titled the Afghan Transit Trade Agreement (ATTA). However, Gwadar has opened a shorter route for Southern Afghanistan, which will allow for quicker delivery of goods to the landlocked country.
