Daily Times

The Pakistan-China Khunjarab border was opened for bilateral trade and tourism after four months of closure.

Khunjerab border, the only land crossing connecting Pakistan with China is located at an altitude of about 15,000 feet above sea level. According to the protocol agreement of 1985, the border is closed for traffic from December 1 to March 31 due to snowfall.

Apart from the passenger vehicles in the border area of Gilgit-Baltistan, Sust, and the Chinese city of Tashkurgan, goods transport has also resumed. Bilateral trade and tourism will begin with the opening of the border.

Khujarab Pass derived its name from two words of the local Wakhi language: “Khun” means blood and “Jerab” means a creek coming from a spring or waterfall. In November last year, Khunjerab Port management of China’s Xinjiang region issued a notice that the pass would remain closed from December to March.

The notice said according to “Port Entry and Exit Management Measures,” the two countries would have to amend and sign the agreement on border ports and management systems through diplomatic channels to keep Khunjerab Pass open year-round. The pass connects Gilgit-Baltistan with China’s Xinjiang region and was reopened after closing for almost three years in April 2023.