Pakistan Bypasses Afghanistan With New Corridors Through Iran and China
Fear of an Oil Glut May Be Overblown, Top Consultancy Says Eurasianet is an independent news organization that covers news from and about the South Caucasus and Central Asia, providing on-the-ground reporting and critical perspectives on… Pakistan hasapproved and operationalizednew land routes to connect Central Asian markets to Pakistani ports and beyond, utilizing strategic corridors through Iran and China to bypass Afghanistan entirely.
This shift was solidified in April 2026 when Pakistan Customs launched thefirst export consignmentfrom the Karachi Export Processing Zone to Kyrgyzstan via the Sost Dry Port in China under the TIR (Transports Internationaux Routiers) regime.
Pakistan’s decision to diversify transit away from Afghanistan follows the indefinite closure of the Torkham and Chaman border crossings in October 2025 due to unmanageable security risks and cross-border militancy.
Byactivatingthe Pakistan-Iran Transit Corridor and the Sost-Kyrgyzstan-China Corridor, Islamabad is dismantling Afghanistan’s traditional transit monopoly.
Amidst the ongoing Strait of Hormuz crisis, these land routes, coupled with the rising prominence of Gwadar Port, position Pakistan as a critical, multi-modal bridge between the landlocked Eurasian heartland and global warm-water ports.
These new land routes circumvent both maritime chokepoints and regional instability and provide Central Asian nations with secure and diversified avenues for trade and logistics.
For decades, Pakistan’s overland access to the Central Asian countries was almost exclusively dependent on the Chaman and Torkham gateways through Afghanistan.
From Pakistan’s perspective, this geographical bottleneck granted Kabul significant leverage, which was frequently used as a political tool during bilateral friction.
However, since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, this lifeline for both Central Asian states and Pakistan has transformed into a strategic liability.
Central Asian leadership has grown increasingly frustrated with the instability of the Afghan route.
For instance, recurrent border closures, unpredictable transit fees, and the persistent threat posed by militant groups have undermined the region’s trade ambitions.
This collective annoyance reached a decisive moment in October 2025, when in response to persistent cross-border militant attacks from Afghanistan, Pakistan decided to completely shut down the Afghan-Pakistani trade routes connecting Central Asia.
| Product | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Brent Crude | $102.14/bbl | +0.34% |
| WTI Crude | $96.90/bbl | +0.21% |
| EN590 Diesel | $846/MT | +0.18% |
| Jet Fuel A-1 | $1090/MT | +0.55% |
| Mazut M100 | $450/MT | -0.15% |
| Bitumen 60/70 | $470/MT | +0.08% |
| Sulphur Gran 99.5% | $470/MT | -0.44% |
| Urea 46% Gran | $650/MT | +1.12% |
| NPK 16-16-16 | $460/MT | -0.28% |
| Nat Gas TTF | $15.42/MMBtu | +0.92% |
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