Chinese embassy appreciates temporary opening of Khunjarab Pass to facilitate crossing of important goods from China

Islamabad: Chinese Embassy in Islamabad has hailed the temporary opening of Khunjarab Pass to facilitate the crossing of important goods from China.

In a tweet, Chinese Embassy in Pakistan said that more than 200 containers of goods were on their way to their destination.

At the request of Pakistan and with permission from China’s border management authorities, the Khunjarab Pass was temporarily opened for the second time this year from 30th of last month to 10th of this month.

Due to heavy snow in the area Khunjerab Pass mostly remains closed in winter.

Located at 4,600 meters above sea level, the China-Pakistan border crossing, which goes over the Khunjerab pass and the Karakoram Highway, is the highest and, consequently, one of the most beautiful borders in the world.

The Khunjerab Pass is the highest-paved international border crossing in the world and the highest point on the Karakoram Highway. The roadway across the pass was completed in 1982, and has superseded the unpaved Mintaka and Kilik Passes as the primary passage across the Karakoram Range.

The choice of Khunjerab Pass for Karakoram Highway was decided in 1966: China citing the fact that Mintaka would be more susceptible to air strikes recommended the steeper Khunjerab Pass instead.

On the Pakistani-administered side, the pass is 42 km from the National Park station and checkpoint in Dih, 75 km from the customs and immigration post in Sost, 270 km from Gilgit, and 870 km from Islamabad.

On the Chinese side, the pass is the southwest terminus of China National Highway 314 (G314) and is 130 km from Tashkurgan, 420 km from Kashgar and some 1,890 km from Urumqi. The Chinese port of entry is located 3.5 km along the road from the pass in Tashkurgan County.

The long, relatively flat pass is often snow-covered during the winter season and as a consequence is generally closed for heavy vehicles from November 30 to May 1 and for all vehicles from December 30 to April 1.