Pakistan, China Set To Resume Border Trade From Today After 3 Years

Islamabad: Pakistan and China are set to resume border trade from Monday through the Khunjerab Pass - the only land route between the two all-weather allies – after a gap of three years. Pakistan’s Geo News reported that trade and travel activities between Pakistan and China will resume through the Khunjerab Pass after nearly three years.  The trade route that connects Pakistan with China`s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, which is home to many ethnic minority groups including Uyghurs, was closed in the year 2020 after the Covid-19 outbreak. 

The Chinese authorities have written a letter to Pakistani officials regarding the reopening of the pass for trade, the official sources said. The port authorities on the Chinese side of Khunjerab Pass have been instructed to take all necessary measures regarding COVID-19 before the arrival of goods begins from Pakistan. 

Similarly, Pakistani border authorities have also been instructed to take all measures regarding COVID-19, ensuring the containment of the disease. This year, the last temporary opening lasted for 12 days between January 30 and February 10 while the first port opening was between January 19 and 20 this year. 

The two temporary openings facilitated 128 cross-border personnel visits, 328 transportation vehicle passes, and more than 6,000 tons of goods exported, as per the foreign affairs office of Kashgar prefecture.

It is believed that the reopening of the border crossing will help boost economic activities between the two neighbouring countries. Prior to the opening of the border, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his pleasure over the reopening of Khunjerab Pass, saying it would help increase bilateral trade between Pakistan and China.

The Prime Minister said that the development would boost trade with `Iron brother China`, the PM Office said in an official statement. Earlier, the closure of the border resulted in huge losses for Pakistani traders leading them to start protests in Islamabad. 

Traders decried the massive damage the closure has caused to their businesses and gave a week`s deadline to open the border and warned of sit-ins in Islamabad and Gilgit-Baltistan.