by Shafqat Ali

ISLAMABAD, Dec.9 (Gwadar Pro) - Pakistan and China Sunday temporarily opened border for two days to ensure the return of 100 Pakistani traders trapped in Kashgar province.

Official said the border will remain open on December 8 and 9 to facilitate the stranded traders.

It is to be remembered that under the Protocol Agreement, the Pak-China border is closed for four months in the winter season and usually the border will be closing from Dec 10 but this year it has earlier been closed from Dec 1, 2019.

Last week, Lawmaker Javed Hussain had submitted a calling-attention notice in the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly secretariat to draw the attention of the House towards the difficulties the stranded traders in China had been facing for last few days.

Over 100 local traders with consignments have been stranded in China owing to no-availability of transportation between Pakistan and China via the Khunjerab border as the Khunjerab pass was closed to all types of traffic for four winter months on November 30.

The calling-attention requested the assembly to ask the GB government to contact the federal ministry of interior for temporarily opening of the Khunjerab pass to facilitate the stranded traders to return to their homes along with the consignments.

Meanwhile, Nagar Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Ayub Waziri and Hunza Chamber president Mohammad Raziq wrote separate letters to the Chinese ambassador in Pakistan to play his role in facilitating the stranded traders to travel to Pakistan.

Majority of the stranded passengers travelled to China on border passes issued by the GB government. The validity of the border pass was November 30. The older of the pass cannot travel beyond Xinjiang province of China.

Pakistani officials said China always treated Pakistan as a brother. “We are thankful to China for understanding the issue. Our level of cooperation is beyond limits,” said a senior government official.

He said Pakistan and China only tell each other of an issue and “it is done.”