Pakistan, China Sign Agreement for Green Channel at Khunjerab Border

Islamabad – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – Pakistan, China sign agreement to start a green channel at the Sost-Khunjerab border. The channel will help farm products and related goods cross the border with less delay.

The two customs departments signed the deal online on Thursday. The Pakistani side joined from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) office.

Syed Shakeel Shah, Member Customs (Operations), led the Pakistani team. Li Qinghua led the Chinese team. He is the deputy head of Urumqi Customs and the director of Tashkurgan Customs.

Under the deal, both sides will agree on a list of farm products. Goods on this list will get priority checks and faster clearance. Customs officers will still use risk-based controls to keep trade safe.

The two countries will also share more information with each other. They will exchange risk alerts, so officers on both sides can work together and manage trade better.

Fresh and perishable goods will get special attention. Fruits, vegetables and similar items spoil quickly, so the agreement aims to cut waiting time and move them across the border on time.

Many officials joined the Pakistani delegation. They included the chief collector of customs in Peshawar and the collector of customs in Gilgit-Baltistan. Teams from the Department of Plant Protection, NAFSA, Pakistan Single Window and the Ministry of Commerce were also present, along with the commercial counsellor at the Pakistan embassy in China.

Officials expect the green channel to make farm trade smoother. They also hope it will bring the customs teams of both countries closer.

The Khunjerab Pass links Gilgit-Baltistan with China’s Xinjiang region. At 15,500 feet above sea level, it is the highest paved border crossing in the world.

A border protocol signed in 1985 keeps the pass open for trade and travel from April to November. Heavy snow makes movement hard in winter.

Trade through the pass has grown in recent years. Last year, Pakistan Customs collected Rs15 billion from imports from China through Khunjerab, a new record. Goods worth Rs2.8 billion were also sent to China and Central Asian countries.