Khunjerav Pass (elevation
4,693 metres or 15,397 feet) is a high mountain pass in the Karakoram Mountains
in a strategic position on the northern border of Pakistan (Region of
Gilgit–Baltistan’s Hunza and Nagar Districts) and on the southwest border of
China (the Xinjiang region).
The Khunjerab
Pass is the highest-paved international border crossing in the world and the
highest point on the Karakoram Highway. The roadway across the pass was
completed in 1982, and has superseded the unpaved Mintaka and Kilik Passes as
the primary passage across the Karakoram Range. The choice of Khunjerab Pass
for Karakoram Highway was decided in 1966: China citing the fact that Mintaka
would be more susceptible to air strikes recommended the steeper Khunjerab Pass
instead.
On the
Pakistani - administered side, the pass is 42 km (26 mi) from the National Park
station and checkpoint in Dih, 75 km (47 mi) from the customs and immigration
post in Sost, 270 km (170 mi) from Gilgit, and 870 km (540 mi) from Islamabad. On
the Chinese side, the pass is the southwest terminus of China National Highway
314 (G314) and is 130 km (81 mi) from Tashkurgan, 420 km (260 mi) from Kashgar
and some 1,890 km (1,170 mi) from Urumqi. The Chinese port of entry is located
3.5 km (2.2 mi) along the road from the pass in Tashkurgan County. The long,
relatively flat pass is often snow-covered during the winter season and as a
consequence is generally closed for heavy vehicles from November 30 to May 1
and for all vehicles from December 30 to April 1. The reconstructed Karakoram
Highway passes thru Khunjerab Pass. Since June 1, 2006, there has been a daily
bus service across the boundary from Gilgit to Kashgar, Xinjiang. A helpful
road-sign giving motorists a perspective about the distances of the area from
several cities in Pakistan. This is one of the international borders where
left-hand traffic (Pakistan - administered Gilgit-Baltistan) changes to
right-hand traffic (China) and vice versa.
Received on 4th of October, 2019. Thanks to dear friend aka Baby Pig from Chifeng city Inner Mongolia. Unfortunately, the post marks were printed upside down by the post office clerk and Ughur Arabic script on the post mark is unreadable on most of the post marks. However, the first postmark does have a partially visible Ughur Arabic language script visible which read the origin of the mail as 'Kashgar' city as known as Kashi.
No comments:
Post a Comment