G-B development reflects Pak-China friendship

Dasu Dam construction in full swing as Beijing committed to its early completion

Most of the roads and highways towards the Khunjerab Pass were found to be very smooth and well-constructed for driving. However, a few patches of the highway between Dasu and Chilas were still under construction and it was difficult to drive through.

Most impressive was the scenic and natural beauty around northern areas along with well-built tourists’ resorts visited daily by lots of foreigners, including those from China, Korea, Malaysia and European countries. The weather was quite warm in all of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B), whereas the temperature was low around 4-degree Celsius at the Khunjerab Pass. It was surprising to note that the entry gate of the Pakistan-China border was manned by only one security personnel.

This was reflective of the fact that there is a lot of trust, peace and harmony between the two countries. The security guard said that a huge contingent of security staff is not required to guard the border as there is no security threat on either side. The guard also said that the current border was closed but was likely to be opened around June 1 for trade activities between the two countries. It was also witnessed during the travel towards Khunjerab Pass that most parts of the roads were filled with PakChina friendship signs and posters.

It was seen that the construction of Dasu Dam was in full swing while the Chinese management at a few sites looked very devoted and committed to its early completion. The Karakoram Highway, also known as N-35, with a total length of 1,300 km connects Punjab, KhyberPakhtunkhwa and G-B (Pakistan) with Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (China). The highway provides access to Gilgit and Skardu from Islamabad by road. Tourists now prefer this highway.

Along the highway, the CEN reporter viewed massive 7,000+ metre peaks, beautiful blue lakes and met some of the most hospitable people on earth. The route comprises five tunnels and several bridges. The longest tunnel is 3,360 metres (11,020 feet), followed by 2,736 metres (8,976 feet), 435 metres (1,427 feet), 410 metres (1,350 feet) and 195 metres (640 feet), while the Shishkat Great Bridge on Hunza River is 480 metres (1,570 feet) long.

THE ARTICLE ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON THE CHINA ECONOMIC NET