Pakistan-china border reopens after four months of closure

Gilgit-baltistan, Pakistan - After a four-month closure due to severe winter conditions, the Pakistan-china Khunjarab border has reopened, facilitating commercial and tourist activities, The Nation reported.

According to the bilateral agreement, the border closure typically lasts from December 1 to March 31 each year, owing to cold weather and heavy snowfall. According to The Nation, the reopening of this border crossing is expected to boost bilateral trade and tourism between the two nations.

While trade and tourism activities were halted during the closure period, transportation of essential goods for Pakistan’s development projects continued uninterrupted across the border.

Notably, alongside the reopening of the Khunjerab border, transportation activities have resumed in the border areas of Gilgit-baltistan, specifically Sost, and the Chinese city of Tashghargan, as per The Nation. This development signals a renewed flow of commerce and connectivity between the two nations, promising economic benefits and strengthening ties.

Earlier, on November 12, the Chinese government announced the closure of Khunjerab Pass for four months in the winter, almost a month after it agreed to keep the high-altitude road open throughout the year, Dawn News reported. Khunjerab Pass is the only place connecting two countries over this mountainous range, at a height of 16,200ft. Khunjerab Pass is the point where the highest paved international road, the Karakorum Highway, enters China, connecting the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China and GilgitBaltistan of Pakistan.

Under the border protocol agreement signed between the two countries in 1985, Khunjerab Pass remains open for travel and trade between April and November, as per the Dawn News report.