Some biochemical processes in pods of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) plants subjected to increasing levels of NaCl salinity in sand culture have been investigated. Chickpea exhibited a marked salt sensitivity with respect to yield characteristics such as number of pods per plant, number of filled pods and 100 pod and seed weight. The accumulation of Na and Cl was more pronounced in the pod shell as compared to that in seeds. The Ca content in pod shell showed a decrease under saline conditions whereas an opposite trend was exhibited by P. Under saline conditions the levels of Fe, Mn and Mg were lowered in the seed tissue. The protein and starch contents of the seeds were also reduced markedly under saline conditions while only minor changes in the sugar fraction were found. Salinity favoured accumulation of free proline in the pod shell as well as in the seeds. Salt stress caused reduction of photosynthetic carbon assimilation in pods with a change in pattern of carbon metabolism.