Cross-border bus service between Gilgit, Kashgar resumes after 14 years

Cross-border bus service between Gilgit, Kashgar resumes after 14 years as it aims to significantly enhance connectivity between the two regions.

The Northern Areas Transport Corporation (NATCO) has received approval from Pakistan’s Federal Ministry of Communications to resume its cross-border bus service between Gilgit and Kashgar, China, after a 14-year suspension, officials said on Saturday afternoon.

This service was originally discontinued in 2010 due to a natural disaster, when a massive landslide created Attabad Lake, submerging a 14-kilometer section of the Karakoram Highway (KKH), cutting off the route.

The revival of this critical transport link has been achieved through cooperation between NATCO, a state-owned transport company in Gilgit-Baltistan, and the Chinese firm Xinjiang-Kashgar Xin Lu Transportation Co. Ltd.

The resumption of this bus service is anticipated to significantly enhance connectivity between Pakistan and China, boosting tourism and trade, particularly in the scenic and strategically vital Gilgit-Baltistan region.

NATCO spokesperson Ehsan Shah announced that the service is expected to start before the Khunjerab Pass closes for winter in December. He mentioned that both sides are updating aspects of the original 2006 agreement, with a formal signing ceremony scheduled soon.

Restoring the Gilgit-Kashgar bus service will reconnect the picturesque Gilgit-Baltistan region with Kashgar, a key trading hub in China’s Xinjiang province, offering new prospects for economic cooperation and cultural exchange.