Rimdan Gabd Border Crossing Milestone Achievement
Rimdan Gabd Border Crossing Milestone Achievement
Editorial
Editorial

Rimdan Gabd new border crossing point was opened jointly by Iran and Pakistan on Saturday. It is a move to set strengthens legal border trade and business activities between the two neighbors. Border gateway at Rimdan Gabd areas in Balochistan was officially opened in the presence of senior officials and political representatives of Iran and Pakistan. Rimdan Gabd is now second border crossing between the two neighbors.

Rimdan Gabd new border crossing point was opened jointly by Iran and Pakistan on Saturday. It is a move to set strengthens legal border trade and business activities between the two neighbors. Border gateway at Rimdan Gabd areas in Balochistan was officially opened in the presence of senior officials and political representatives of Iran and Pakistan. Rimdan Gabd is now second border crossing between the two neighbors.

Zubaida Jalal federal minister for defense production and minister for roads and urban development Muhammad Eslami jointly inaugurate the Rimdan Gabd border passage. Border corssing was opened for the smooth transfer of goods and passengers. Border crossing point was opened on Saturday during a ceremony. Rimdan Gabd gateway connects Gabd area of Balochistan with Dashtyari area of Iran’s province of Seestan Balochistan.  According to the officials of both countries Rimdan Gabd border crossing has a capacity of exporting and importing goods and transporting pilgrims from Pakistan to holy shrines in Iran and Iraq.

Rimdan Gibd border crossing is just 70 kilometers away from the Gwadar port and enables people of Pakistan to reach neighboring Iran’s strategically important port of Chahbahar. Pakistani citizens can travel from Chahbahar via train link or by plane to holy shrines for performing Ziarat or pilgrimage. Earlier only one border crossing was active between the two neighboring countries at Mirjaveh and Taftan while border between Iran and Pakistan is almost 900 kilometers long. Rimdan – Gabd border opening will definitely help to increase economic and trade cooperation between Pakistan and Iran, this will also help to boost legal trade and reduce illegal trade and smuggling and will surely paved the way to bring better change in the live hood of the residents inhabiting on the joint border areas. Opening of border crossing and border market establishment project will also help to serve the interest of the two neighbors specially strengthen the security of the two countries in the common border zone. With the opening of the border crossing and strengthening of markets will also bring prosperity.

It is also expected that joint effort of both Iran and Pakistan for cooperation will be done with the appropriate speed. This step will may also help to develop these areas because development of common market and border crossing opening will have a direct impact on the living standards of the people, this will also create better opportunities of employment for the residents of the border area.

Rimdan Gabd border opening is the upshot and outcome of the announcement made by prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan, who emphasized on practical steps to set up a border trade market at Rimdan Gabd area on Joint border between Pakistan and Iran. Prime Minister Imran Khan during his visit of Mekran division assures to implement the concept of joint border market and a memorandum of understanding MoU was also signed on Saturday between the secretaries of industries and commerce of the two brotherly and neighboring countries. Zubaida Jalal federal minister for defense production was heading the delegation from Pakistan side, additional secretary for commerce Umair Karim, deputy secretary Anisa Zafar, Chief of Federal Board of Revenue FBR Muhammad Saeed Khan Jadoon, Director FIA Shakeel Durrani, provisional secretary Industries and commerce Manzoor Hussain and GEIDA MD Attaullah Khan Jogezai, DC Gwadar Abdul Kabeer, DC Kech Ilyas Kibzai and other officials were also attended the signing ceremony. International crossing Border Point Rimdan Gabd was formarly Inaugurated after signing MoU. Rimdan Gabd Border crossing is a milestone achievement between Iran and Pakistan. High officials of Pakistan Army and Pakistan’ Ambassador to Iran Ahmed Ali Mohabbati Ali were also there. Governor of Seestan Balochistan of Iran province also attended the ceremony.

Opening of Rimdan Gabd is a historic achievement because for centuries people of Gwadar have longed for Taftan style immigration facilities. Opening will facilitate the people of the adjoin areas to travel and trade and after Taftan, Rimdan Gabd will be the second international border crossing point between Iran and Pakistan. After Taftan border markets would be set up at Pakistan Iran International border. Located in Iran’s southeastern Sistan-Baluchistan province, about 130 km from the strategic Chabahar port, the Rimadan crossing point is suitably located for import and export of goods between the two countries. Rimdan Gabd border crossing issue had figured prominently during Iranian Foreign Minister Muhammad Jawwad Zarif’s tour of Islamabad in November this year, when both sides agreed to open border crossing to facilitate trade.

Pertinent to mention that border crossing is located just 22 kilometers north of the sea of Oman, while Gwadar port is only 60 kilometers away from Rimdan Gabd. Opening and establishment of the border crossing and recently inauguration of railway link between Iran and Afghanistan revealing that Iran is fully committed to promote regional trade and cooperation with the neighbors. Jawwad Zarif foreign minister of Iran also proposed and gave the idea during his visit to open border crossings at Pishin and Mand areas. With the opening of new border crossing it is also expected that heavy load and burden will decrease from Taftan Mirjaveh crossing point the only gateway on 900 kilometers plus international border between Iran and Pakistan.

It is also important to mention that growing juxtaposition and proximity between Iran and Pakistan comes at a time when relations when relations between Iran and Pakistan have gone stressed. Pakistan has also returned $1 billion as a second installment of the $ 3billion loan to the KSA. The relations between the two traditional allies have strained recently after Pakistan threatened to part ways with the Riyadh-led Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) over silence on atrocities in India-controlled Kashmir.

With the opening of the official border of Rimdan Gabd the exchange of goods will be done though legal means and the traffic of passengers will be done with a passport. Rimdan border in Dashtyari city was established in 1987 and area lacked any basic facilities and infrastructure till 1995. According to the Iran Media reports Rimdan border at the zero point of the Iran-Pakistan border is the best route for Iran to reach 37% of the world’s population therefore, paying attention to the infrastructure of this border is necessary for the development of trade and economic relations.