— Khunjerab border usually remains closed from December to April
ISLAMABAD: While the China Pakistan border at Khunjerab has been closed for all kind of trade handlings from December 1, 2022 as per annul closure schedule for four months, the land route is being temporarily opened for trade on Tuesday (today) and Wednesday and in the next phase from 30 January to 10 February.
According to officials at Gilgit Baltistan, the temporary opening of the border is being arranged to facilitate shifting of heavy machinery required for development work on Diamer Bhasha Dam.
The machinery would be sent to Pakistan via the Sost Border at Khunjerab pass. Furthermore, from January 30th to February 10th important supplies stuck in China will be allowed to cross into Pakistan. Due to the closure of the Pakistan-China Border, important Pakistani supplies were stuck on the Chinese side.
As per the officials the government of Gilgit Baltistan had requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chinese Embassy in Islamabad and other authorities concerned for opening of the border to open the Pak-Khunjerab border.
It may be mentioned here that the only land route between Pakistan and China has been functional for a few months only last year after the closure for over two years following the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic.
Through the Chinese, as per a circular issued by Foreign Affairs office of Kashgar administration, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China on March 24, 2022, the Hongqi Lafu port (Khunjerab dry port) was scheduled to be opened in April. However the border throughout the year remained largely closed and occasionally opened that too for one side trade (for import from China).
Pakistan had previously asked China to reopen the border to facilitate cross-border trade and people-to-people exchanges. In a letter sent to the Embassy of China in Pakistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had stated that the border was closed on December 1, 2019 as per schedule due to the winter season, while its opening on April 1, 2020 was postponed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It may be mentioned here that apart from the prolonged closure of border for Covid-19 issue, the China-Pakistan border usually remains closed from December 1 till March 31 every year due to severe weather conditions, as per the bilateral agreement. For the rest of the year, however, the border remains open for two-way movement of passengers as well as transportation of goods and cargo.
