GILGIT: A total of 27 Chinese containers carrying agricultural equipment have entered Pakistan as the Khunjerab Pass was temporarily opened as a trial run for year-round cross-border trade.
A notification from the Ministry of Commerce stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had conveyed the Chinese government’s willingness to open the crossing point from March 1 for the second trial this year.
Last year, the Chinese government had closed the Khunjerab Pass on Nov 30 for four months during the winter season, shortly after agreeing to keep the high-altitude road open throughout the year.
According to an agreement signed between Pakistan and China in 1986, the Khunjerab Pass border remains open for trade and travel from April until the end of November.
Following a meeting between caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the Third Belt and Road International Cooperation Summit Forum in Beijing on Oct 20 last year, both countries agreed to operationalize the Khunjerab Pass throughout the year.
