ISLAMABAD, 16 June 2006 — Pakistan and China launched their first passenger bus service yesterday, linking the northern Pakistani town of Gilgit with the western Chinese city of Kashgar, officials said.

The Gilgit-Kasghar Bus Service will allow tourists and traders of Pakistan and China to visit each other’s country on a regular basis.

Twisting through the mountains along the scenic Karakoram Highway, the 550-kilometer (340 mile) journey takes around 16 hours. The service will run each way three times a week.

Launching the new service, Minister of Communications Muhammad Shamim Siddiqui said: “Pakistan has opened its northern route for the People’s Republic of China to expand trade and tourism.” He added that Pakistan would further expand its road traffic up to Beijing soon.

He said Pakistan’s policy of opening its land routes to neighboring countries like India, Afghanistan, Iran and China will open up the entire Central Asian Republics for regional trade and commerce.

The Ministry of Communications has opened the new Gilgit-Kasghar route on the famous Pak-China Silk Route which links Pakistan with China at Khunjrab Pass.

“This is the first ever bus service in more than 50 years of diplomatic relations between our two countries,” Zafar Iqbal, managing director of the state-run Northern Area Transport Company, said by telephone.

The first bus carried 16 passengers, including businessmen and tourists. A second bus with officials and media also left yesterday morning.

A Chinese bus left Kashgar almost simultaneously and was due to cross the border and arrive in Gilgit later in the evening.

Tickets cost $44. Travelers will need visas from Islamabad or Beijing. “The response here was overwhelming, it is beyond our expectations,” Iqbal said.

The Karakoram Highway was built by Pakistan and China in the 1970s and is described as a monument of friendship between the traditional allies.

The road on the Chinese side is in good condition but the Pakistani side has been damaged in some places by landslides. Officials said a Chinese team was conducting a survey to bring the highway up to international standards.