ISLAMABAD:Adviser to the Prime Minister on Commerce Razak Dawood has said that China is opening the Khunjerab Border on April 1, which will support local commerce on both sides of the border.

In his tweets on Tuesday, he said it will also help in utilization of the second phase of Pakistan-China Free Trade Agreement. The Adviser urged the exporters to take advantage of this opportunity and increase their exports to China. It may be recalled that nearly two years ago the Khunjerab Pass, a major trade route between Pakistan and China, was officially closed to contain the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a recent report of China Economic Net (CEN), the Khunjerab Pass connecting the two countries usually remains open from May to November for trade and travel. According to a report quoting a Pakistan official, the Chinese authorities, a few days ago, had shared a letter with Pakistan regarding the reopening of the border pass in accordance with the agreement signed between the two countries in May 2013.

The Chinese authorities had mentioned in their letter that measures would be in place to prevent the virus from spreading via Khunjerab Pass. Port authorities on the Chinese side of world’s highest-paved international crossing have been instructed to take all precautionary measures pertaining to the Covid-19 pandemic before the arrival of goods from Pakistan.

Similarly, Pakistani border authorities have also been instructed to take all measures for the containment of the highly-contagious virus. Khunjerab Pass had temporarily opened between July 29, 2020 and August 10, 2020 to facilitate the transportation of containers loaded with goods.