The reopening of Khunjerab Pass, a major land port on the Pakistan-China border in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, would further bolster bilateral trade between the two brotherly countries, besides strengthening people-to-people contacts, a senior official said.
The pass connecting officially resumed the entry and exit of passengers this week after a closure of three years in wake of Covid-19 restrictions.
The port authorities on the Chinese side were instructed to take all necessary measures regarding Covid-19 pandemic before the start of the arrival of goods from Pakistan.
Similarly, Pakistani border authorities were also instructed to take all measures regarding Covid-19, ensuring the containment of the disease.
At present, in wake of cold weather and lack of oxygen in the high altitude, Khunjerab Pass generally opens from April 1 to November 30 every year and remains closed from December 1 to March 31 of the following yea.
However, Pakistan Ambassador to China, Moin ul Haque in a statement said that the resumption of operations via Khunjerab Pass would serve to further bolster trade and people-to-people linkage between Pakistan and China.
He also informed that the two sides were now working to keep the border crossing open all year round.
“It was also another good omen that the two sides were now working to keep the border crossing open round the year,” Coordinator to Federal Tax Ombudsman Mehr Kashif Younis said while talking to a delegation of industrialists and traders.
The reopening was expected to witness a huge growth of cross-border trade and transportation this year. A major turnaround for Pakistani producers was expected in the wake of the relaxation of COVID-19-related restrictions.
He said that cherry had been allowed to be exported to China and this would open up a market of up to USD 2 billion. Similarly, sesame seed export to China had also increased, he added.
