Karakoram Highway
A new all-weather road, the Karakoram Highway connecting Rawalpindi/Islamabad with China's Xinjiang
Province runs through the Northern Areas.
The 805 kms. dual carriage metalled road starts from Havelian, 100 kms. from Islamabad and winds
through Abbottabad-Mansehra-Thakot-Besham-Pattan-S azin-Chils-Gilgit-Hunza to the Chinese Frontier across the 4,733 metres
high Khunjerab Pass. The road built by the Pakistan Army engineers in association with the Chinese experts and technicians
has been described as a marvel of civil engineering and even as "the Eighth Wonder of the World." Completed in 15 years, it
has been forced through some of the world's toughest terrain. The road not only opens up the Northern Areas to trade and travel
but provides easy access to hitherto closed regions, connected by jeep or goat tracks.
PTDC and Northern Area Transport Company (NATCO) are plying regular bus service between Sost
(Pakistan) and Taxkhurgan (China) for overland traffic between Pakistan and China, from 1 st May till 15th November every
year.
