Pakistani PM rejoices at reopening of Khunjerab Pass trade route with China

ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has commended the reopening of Khunjerab Pass, saying it would help increase bilateral trade between Pakistan and China.

In a press release issued from the PM office, the premier commended the step for boosting trade with ‘Iron brother China’. He said the reopening of the historic border crossing will remove hurdles that would further expedite the pace of work on China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and said restoration of the trade route between the two sides after the hiatus was a matter of rejoice.

Sharif expressed his resolve to move ahead on the flagship CPEC project with the fast pace in comparison to previous years, calling the infrastructure network project a gift of progress and prosperity given by Nawaz Sharif and the Chinese leadership.

Reopening of Khunjrab Pass is critical to accelerating trade between Pakistan & China. The govt is determined to unpack the full potential of CPEC by making it the centerpiece of our economic diplomacy for the region. Trade & connectivity are the building blocks of prosperity.

— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 2, 2023

Pakistan and China opened a key border crossing Khunjerab Pass for trade activities on Monday (April 3) after hiatus of three years.

The 4,693-meter-high mountain pass was earlier closed to stem Covid transmission between the two nations and only emergency aid was shipped after safety measures during the pandemic.

The years-long closure of the key crossing caused a huge financial blow to the local community as a large number of workers become jobless. As the world is moving after the Covid pandemic; Pakistani and Chinese officials decided to boost cross-border trade and business.

The picturesque border crossing is the only land port linking neighboring countries. Both sides started trade and tourism through the border from April 1 to November every year.