Staff Report
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China have agreed to reopen the Khunjerab Pass route for trade activities by April 1 (today), said Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zahid Hafeez Chaudhri.
“The two countries agree to reopen the pass on April 1. The pass will reopen. Both sides have no objection,” he said.
The border remained closed for over a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The authorities on both sides of the border have been ordered to ensure strict implementation of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and screening of all those who cross the border.
Earlier this month, Islamabad had asked China to reopen the border to facilitate cross-border trade and people-to-people exchanges.
China-Pakistan border 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.
The border was opened for a few weeks in July 2020 to facilitate the release of stranded containers, and again in September, to shift medical material gifted by the Chinese government to GB to deal with Covid-19.
