ISLAMABAD (The Thursday Times) — Pakistan and China have signed an agreement to set up a green channel for agricultural and allied products at the Sost-Khunjerab border, giving eligible consignments priority clearance at the high mountain crossing between Gilgit-Baltistan and Xinjiang.
The agreement was signed online on Thursday by the customs administrations of the two countries, with the Pakistani side at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Islamabad. Member Customs (Operations) Syed Shakeel Shah led Pakistan’s delegation, while China was represented by Li Qinghua, deputy head of Urumqi Customs and director of Tashkurgan Customs.
How the green channel works
Under the arrangement, an agreed list of agricultural products will get priority processing and examination, while customs will keep risk-based controls in place, according to an official announcement. Perishable consignments will be handled first to cut delays at the border.
The two customs services will also share more information and exchange risk alerts to improve coordination and the management of cross-border trade.
Pakistan’s delegation included the chief collector of customs in Peshawar, the collector of customs for Gilgit-Baltistan, officials from the Department of Plant Protection, NAFSA, Pakistan Single Window and the Ministry of Commerce, and the commercial counsellor at the Pakistani embassy in Beijing.
The world’s highest paved border
Khunjerab, more than 4,600 metres above sea level on the Karakoram Highway, is the highest paved international border crossing in the world and Pakistan’s only land trade route to China. Heavy snow has traditionally disrupted traffic through the pass in winter.
Pakistan Customs collected a record Rs15 billion last year on imports from China through Khunjerab, while goods worth Rs2.8 billion were exported to China and Central Asia through the crossing, Dawn reported.
