The Northern Areas Transport Corporation, NATCO, has officially got authorization from the Federal Ministry of Communication to resume its bus service between Gilgit and Kashgar, China, after a 14-year duration. This cross-border bus service was halted in 2010 because of natural disasters that highly disrupted the Karakoram Highway KKH. The suspension was highly caused by massive landslides that resulted in the formation of Attabad Lake, submerging a 14-kilometer section of the highway.
The re-commencement of this huge transport route is considered to be a joint effort between NATCO, a government-owned organization in the area of Gilgit-Baltistan, and Xinjiang Kashgar, and Zin Lu Transportation Co., Ltd., which is a Chinese transportation organization. The restored bus service is anticipated to improve connectivity between China and Pakistan, which will help in enhancing tourism and trade in the region. This development comes under the broader scope of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, further reinforcing this between the two neighboring nations.
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On the 30th of September, 2024, the Ministry of Communication issued a no objection certificate NOC, giving the NATCO to submit the final agreement with its Chinese counterpart to recommence the service. The letter of the ministry lays strong importance to the decisions aligned with the agreements made during the 2nd meeting of the Xinjiang Pakistan economic and trade cooperation working group. The ministry has also given instructions to NATCO to submit the final agreement for keeping the record officially.
As per the spokesperson of the NATCO, Ehsan Shah, the bus service is anticipated to commence before the seasonal closure of the Khunjerab Pass in December. Ehsan Shah also claimed that some modifications and alterations to the 2006 agreement are being worked on and a formal signing ceremony is expected in the upcoming weeks. The re-initiation of the Gilgit-Kashgar bus service is anticipated to reconnect the scenic Gilgit-Baltistan region with the Kashgar region, which is considered to be a major trade hub in Xinjiang China.