ISLAMABAD: The Chinese government has announced the closure of Khunjerab Pass, a major land trade route between Pakistan and China, for four months, less than a month after Islamabad announced the high-altitude road would remain open throughout the year.
Pakistani Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar said at an event at the Belt and Road Forum in Beijing in October that the pass would be converted to an all-weather border.
China is a major ally and investor in Pakistan. The two countries collaborate on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative, with more than $65 billion pledged for road, rail, and other infrastructure developments in the South Asian nation.
According to a notice issued on Saturday by the Khunjerab Port management of China’s Xinjiang region, the pass will remain closed from December to March.
The notice said according to “Port Entry and Exit Management Measures,” the two countries would have to amend and sign the agreement on border ports and management systems through diplomatic channels to keep Khunjerab Pass open year-round.
China’s State Port Management Office would also seek the acceptance of the year-round opening of Khunjerab Port from its authorities, the notice added.
“[Until] the State Port Management Office of the People’s Republic of China issues an official notice, Khunjerab Port will continue to adopt the seasonal mode of customs clearance, with normal closure from December to March.”
In case of any special needs, Xingiang’s Khunjerab Port management would apply for a temporary opening of the pass.
In China last month, Kakar had said Pakistan would like to upgrade customs and other logistic services at the pass to facilitate trade and movement of people.
“As per the consensus reached in Beijing during my visit, our land border at Khunjerab Sost will be converted into an all-weather model,” Kakar said.
The pass connects Gilgit-Baltistan with China’s Xinjiang region and was reopened after closing for almost three years in April 2023. The land border was closed in 2020 after the outbreak of COVID-19.
Khunjerab Pass, the highest paved international border at more than 4,600 meters (15,000 feet) above sea level, is closed during winter months because of harsh weather.
Khunjerab Pass linking Pakistan, China closed for four months
https://arab.news/ze477
Khunjerab Pass linking Pakistan, China closed for four months
- Last month Pakistan announced the high-altitude road would remain open throughout the year
- Khunjerab Port management of China’s Xinjiang region says pass to remain closed from December to March
Pakistan welcomes Afghan scholars’ reported resolution against use of soil for cross-border attacks
- Around 1,000 Afghan scholars passed a resolution this week prohibiting use of Afghan soil for cross-border attacks against another country, Afghan media reported
- Development takes place as tensions persist between Pakistan and Afghanistan amid Islamabad’s allegations of Taliban supporting cross-border attacks against it
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s foreign office spokesperson on Thursday welcomed a resolution reportedly passed by Afghan scholars against allowing the use of Afghan soil for attacks against any other country, but still demanded written assurances of the same from the Afghan leadership.
According to a report published by Afghan news channel Tolo News, around 1,000 Afghan scholars gathered in Kabul on Wednesday to pass a resolution that, among other things, said no one will be allowed to use Afghanistan’s soil against other countries for attacks. The resolution also said that if anyone fails to comply with this decision, the Afghan government has the right to take action against them.
The development takes place as tensions persist between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Both countries have engaged in border clashes since October, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of harboring militants that launch attacks on Pakistan.
Afghanistan denies the allegation and says it cannot be held responsible for Pakistan’s security.
Speaking to reporters during a weekly press briefing, Foreign Office spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said he had not seen the full text of the resolution.
“Any developments with regards to the fact that Afghan leadership, the segment of Afghan society, realized the gravity of the situation that their soil is being used by not just TTP, but also by their own nationals to perpetrate terrorism in Pakistan — any realization to this effect is positive and one would certainly welcome it,” Andrabi said.
However, he said similar commitments by Kabul on preventing cross-border attacks have been made in the past but were not honored.
Pakistan and Kabul engaged in a series of peace talks in Istanbul and Doha recently after their deadly border clashes in October. Andrabi pointed out that Islamabad had insisted on getting written assurances from the Afghan leadership that they would prevent Afghan soil from being used by the Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups. However, he said Islamabad had not received any.
He said the resolution by Afghan scholars does not qualify as a proper written assurance from Kabul as it does not explicitly mention Pakistan or the Pakistani Taliban.
’NO FORMAL EXTRADITION TREATY’
Commenting on media reports of Islamabad seeking extradition of certain individuals from the UK, Andrabi confirmed that there exists no formal extradition treaty between Pakistan and the UK. However, he said cases can still be processed individually.
“In the absence of a formal treaty, the extradition cases can be processed on a case-to-case basis,” the FO spokesperson said. “And certain cases were submitted to the British High Commission in Islamabad for their consideration.”
Pakistan last week asked the UK to extradite two prominent pro-Imran Khan figures, former accountability aide Shehzad Akbar and YouTuber-commentator Adil Raja, saying they were wanted on charges of anti-state propaganda.
The issue had been brought up during Pakistan Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi’s meeting with British High Commissioner Jane Marriott in Islamabad. The Interior Ministry said Naqvi had formally handed over Pakistan’s extradition documents, requesting that Raja and Akbar be returned to Pakistan without delay.
