Islamabad: The Businessmen Panel (BMP) of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) has cautioned that Pakistan and Iran's renewed pledges to boost border infrastructure and expand bilateral trade will remain largely symbolic unless both governments take concrete steps to remove deep-rooted trade barriers and implement overdue economic reforms.
In a statement issued on Sunday, BMP Chairman and former FPCCI president Mian Anjum Nisar said the business community has grown weary of repeated assurances over the years, as progress has remained negligible. Despite numerous memorandums of understanding and official visits, trade between Pakistan and Iran continues to be hampered by bureaucratic delays, banking restrictions, and policy inconsistency, he noted.
The remarks follow the 22nd session of the Pakistan-Iran Joint Economic Commission (JEC) held in Tehran, where both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening border markets, improving customs coordination, and promoting trade linkages. While welcoming the renewed engagement, Nisar stressed that tangible results will only follow when both governments take 'immediate, on-ground action.'
Currently, bilateral trade stands at around $3 billion, far below its true potential, he said. 'Every meeting and every joint statement speaks of cooperation, yet the numbers remain stagnant,' Nisar observed. 'The problem is not intent-it is implementation.'
He emphasized that without resolving key obstacles-such as the absence of formal banking channels, cumbersome customs procedures, inconsistent regulations, and excessive reliance on informal barter-any new initiatives will fail to deliver. 'Building new terminals means little when traders cannot even transfer payments through legal channels,' he warned, adding that formal trade has been suffocated while smuggling thrives.
Citing the long-delayed Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline as a prime example of missed opportunities, Nisar said Iran had completed its part of the project years ago while Pakistan continues to delay due to political pressure. 'This pipeline could help ease Pakistan's energy crisis and lower industrial costs, yet indecision has crippled progress,' he said.
He lamented that border regions such as Taftan, Panjgur, and Mashkhel, once hubs of vibrant commerce, now face economic decline due to overregulation and inadequate infrastructure. 'Instead of facilitating cross-border business, government policies have strangled it,' he said.
The BMP chief stressed that proposed border market expansions would remain ineffective without structural reforms. 'Real facilitation requires transparent rules, digital customs systems, and logistics support,' he added.
Criticizing the pattern of JEC meetings ending with 'optimistic press releases but no measurable follow-up,' Nisar urged both Islamabad and Tehran to adopt confidence-building measures, including operationalizing barter trade, reopening trade routes, and creating one-window border terminals.
'The time for photo sessions is over. The time for implementation has come,' he declared, warning that Pakistan's credibility in regional trade diplomacy could suffer if promises remain unfulfilled.
He concluded that Pakistan must treat its western border as an economic opportunity, not a security threat. 'A strong, regulated trade with Iran can curb smuggling, boost revenues, and uplift livelihoods in Balochistan,' Nisar said.