Pakistan, China mull reopening key border crossing in Khunjerab

This picture taken on June 27, 2017 shows a truck driving along the China-Pakistan Friendship Highway before the Karakorum mountain range near Tashkurgan in China's western Xinjiang province. (AFP)

• Was closed in March to limit the spread of the coronavirus outbreak
• Had stalled operations for 186 containers which were stuck in the area

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan held discussions with China for the re-opening of a key border crossing in Khunjerab, in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, after temporarily closing it in March this year to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the country.
During the talks held on Saturday, China’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Yao Jing, and Abdul Razak Dawood, Adviser to Pakistan’s Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment, also discussed strategies to explore bilateral trade and investment opportunities between the two countries, state-run news agency Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Saturday.
Dawood said that nearly 186 containers were stuck along the Khunjerab border, which was a “cause of great concern” for small-scale business owners.
Ambassador Jing, for his part, said that the temporary reopening of the border was under consideration with both sides agreeing to resolve the issue at the earliest.
Dawod said “both sides need to sit together again and discuss issues related to bilateral trade with efforts to further diversify the products being exported from Pakistan, with a specific focus on value-addition, under phase II of the China Pakistan Free Trade Agreement,” the APP report said.