Pakistan opens border with Iran to resume trade.

ISLAMABAD/QUETTA -- The federal government on Thursday opened the country's border with Iran at Taftan to resume trade activities. The border will now remain open seven days a week.

With the development, the export of Pakistani mangoes to Iran is now set to resume.

Separately, the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has announced a drastic cut in freight charges for export of mangoes to the United Kingdom and rest of Europe.

The Ministry of Interior took the decision on the opening of the border with Iran on the intervention of the National Assembly's Special Committee on Agricultural Products which had warned that no delay would be tolerated in the opening of the border with Iran and trade facilitation.

The border was closed on March 17 after the coronavirus outbreak in Iran.

PIA announces drastic cut in freight charges for export of mangoes to Europe

The interior ministry informed the director general of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the inspector general of Frontier Corps (South) about the decision on the opening of border with Iran from June 18.

'The competent authority has decided that the Taftan border shall remain open 7 days a week for trade only while ensuring proper SOPs and guidelines,' the notification issued by the ministry said.

According to Customs officials, presently only Iranian trucks carrying edible items and some other goods have been allowed to cross over into Pakistan.

A large number of containers loaded with mangoes have been waiting at the Taftan border for their turn to cross into Iran.

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, who heads the Special Committee on Agricultural Products, wrote a letter to the prime minister, urging him to take cognisance of the matter and issue directives for the ministries concerned to facilitate mango exporters.

Taking cognisance of various issues faced by mango exporters and farmers, the Special Committee on Agricultural Products summoned officials of the ministries of National Food Security and Research, interior and aviation.

Mr Qaiser was of the view that mango was a perishable commodity and procedural delays or logistic hurdles could cost a loss of millions of rupees to the national exchequer.

According to the speaker, the Pakistani mango is a delicacy throughout the world which also substantially contributes to the foreign exchange earnings of the country. He said that opening of the border and reduction of air freight would give a boost to the economy of the...