Zambad gasoline

Its a common sight in Pakistan’s Panjgur district: a convoy of blue pickup trucks snaking through the desolate terrain, carrying a cargo of contraband gas and diesel from Iran. Over the years it was increasingly difficult for Zambad drivers to make a living. On paper, the restrictions on importing Iranian fuel are very much in place. Officials in Makran division explained that they had come to realize that fuel smuggling was the only way to put bread on the table for a majority of the population residing in five border towns.

Business has been good. “We are being paid handsomely these days. Demand for our petrol has increased. ” a smuggler says.

The Zambad he drives was manufactured by the Zamyad Company in Tehran. They are a licensed version of the Nissan Junior. There is no idea how many are on the road. Ever since the US imposed sanctions on Iran in 2013 to choke oil exports, the smuggling of petroleum products has become an industry in the region. Authorities in Makran division say about 1,500 vehicles bring oil and diesel from Iran daily.

"It engages the youth in economic activity, and it has the potential to keep them from taking up arms in this already volatile region.”