Khunjerab Pass generates record Rs15 billion in customs revenue

GILGIT: Pakistan Customs collected Rs15 billion in revenue on imports from China through the Khunjerab Pass during the fiscal year 2025-26, breaking the previous record, while goods worth Rs2.8bn were exported to China and Central Asian countries through the border crossing.

Wajid Ali, Pakistan Customs Collector Gilgit-Baltistan, told Dawn that Rs14.93bn in revenue was collected on imports through the Khunjerab Pass at the Sost Dry Port during FY26. In FY25, Pakistan Customs had collected Rs13.67bn in revenue on imports from China.

He said exports from Pakistan to China and Central Asian countries under the Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) system had also increased during FY26. He said goods worth Rs2.8bn were exported to China and Central Asian countries via the Khunjerab Pass during the last fiscal year.

The exported items included surgical goods, artificial beads, brass decorations, garments, rice, cotton printed sheets, leather jackets, carpets, pinnets, potatoes, oranges, milk cream, baskets, motorcycle parts, juice machines and handicrafts.

Goods worth Rs2.8bn exported to China and Central Asian countries

Wajid Ali said business activities through the Khunjerab Pass were in full swing. He said the checking and examination of imported items from China had been increased. He added that the smuggling of illegal and contraband items from China to Pakistan through the Khunjerab Pass had been controlled through a strong mechanism jointly operated by Pakistan Customs and the Facilitation Mechanism team.

Ghulam Muhammad, a Customs clearing agent working at the Sost Dry Port, told Dawn that exports of Pakistani products to China and Central Asian countries had increased. He said local products, including cherries, gemstones, handicrafts and other items, were being sold at higher prices in international markets.

Local traders also complained about difficulties faced by them in exporting Pakistani products to China through the Khunjerab Pass. They said unnecessary restrictions and procedures at Chinese immigration authorities created difficulties for local traders seeking to export shipments.

They demanded that Pakistani authorities take up the matter with Chinese officials and seek relaxation of restrictions on Pakistani shipments entering China.

Smuggled goods recovered

Meanwhile, Pakistan Customs and the Facilitation Mechanisms Team recovered smuggled and contraband items worth billions of rupees in various operations, while goods worth Rs72.9 million were auctioned at the Sost Dry Port.

Mohib Khan, deputy collector of Pakistan Customs at Sost Port, told Dawn that, for the first time, Import Policy 2022 had been implemented at the Sost Dry Port in letter and spirit. Under the policy, restricted items were confiscated.

Last month, Pakistan Customs foiled two major attempts to smuggle smartphones, Chinese wine and pork meat from China to Pakistan through the Khunjerab Pass in intelligence-based operations.

The total value of the seized goods and a confiscated vehicle in the two operations was estimated at around Rs158m. The confiscated items included 317 smartphones, 3,500 bottles of Chinese wine and 1,500kg of pork meat from an imported consignment lying at the Sost Dry Port.

Published in Dawn, August 23rd, 2026