After a 14-year pause, the bus service between Pakistan and China, crossing the Khunjerab Pass, restarted on Tuesday. The service is jointly managed by Pakistan’s government-owned Northern Areas Transportation Company (Natco) and China’s Xinjiang-Kashgar Xin Lu Transportation Co. Ltd.
The bus route, connecting Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan to China’s Xinjiang region, was suspended in 2010 after a massive landslide in Hunza’s Attabad village destroyed a 14-kilometer section of the Karakoram Highway. This tragic incident led to 20 deaths and displaced 6,000 residents. The GB government later restored the damaged road, allowing Natco and the Chinese transportation company to reestablish the service between Gilgit and China’s Kashgar.
Natco’s managing director, Aziz Ahmed Jamali, confirmed the bus now runs twice weekly with a fare of Rs18,000 ($64.69) per passenger. He noted that the service can accommodate 320 passengers monthly, with Natco currently operating 40 routes within Gilgit-Baltistan and to international destinations, transporting half a million passengers yearly.
Direct travel between Gilgit and Kashgar is expected to benefit traders by saving time and boosting economic opportunities. “This renewed bus service strengthens connections between Pakistan and China,” said Iman Shah, GB’s special assistant on information, calling it essential for enhancing trade and travel. He also shared his own experience of traveling to China via Natco back in 2003-2004 and expressed optimism about the upgraded buses benefiting both countries.
