ISLAMABAD/BEIJING – The Chinese government has agreed to temporarily reopen the Khunjerab Pass, a pivotal northern land route linking with Pakistan, scheduled from Jan 2 to Jan 16, aiming to facilitate traders.
Situated at an impressive altitude exceeding 4,600 meters (15,000 feet) above sea level, the Khunjerab Pass stands as the highest paved international border, connecting Pakistan and China. This pass typically shuts down annually from November to March due to extreme cold temperatures.
The pass, bridging Pakistan’s northern Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) semi-autonomous region with China’s Xinjiang, had previously reopened in April 2023 after nearly three years of closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
During an October visit to China last year, Pakistan’s Caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar had announced intentions to convert Khunjerab Pass into an “all-weather” border. However, severe weather conditions forced its closure since December 1 of the same year.
Mohammad Arshad Khan, GB Collector Customs, confirmed the agreement, stating that border officials, alongside the National Logistics Corporation (NLC) representatives, are present at the border during this designated period.
Khan explained that within this timeframe, a limited number of TIR [Transports Internationaux Routiers] consignments and China’s stranded containers on the Pakistani side will cross the border. TIR, an international customs transit system for road transport, simplifies border procedures, reducing the administrative load for customs authorities.
A communication from the Chinese embassy in Pakistan dated December 29 explicitly outlined the temporary reopening from Jan 2-16, specifying that only transportation vehicles, drivers, and cargo would be permitted to pass through during this period.
