Pak traders irked as China again closes Khunjerab border

Islamabad [Pakistan] August 23 : Pakistani traders are irked as China once again clamped down the Khunjerab Pass trade border with Pakistan and stopped sending cargo vehicles to the country "without giving any reason."
In a letter sent to China's Secretary Commerce, Pakistan occupied Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister, the Pakistan Gemstone and Mineral Association and other trade bodies have claimed that the Chinese authorities only allowed the temporary opening of the border to send Chinese goods to Pakistan, PT Profit reported.
"This is not for the first time that the conduct of Chinese with our traders has been biased and inhumane. Our trucks which are fully loaded are stuck at Tashkurgan and we have to pay 45,001 Chinese Yuan daily, equivalent to Rs1,140,000, as parking cost," the trade association said.
The association also informed that "Pakistani traders have been suffering for a year and a half."
PT Profit also reported that Pakistani traders have booked goods worth billions of rupees and have also borne high transportation costs worth Rs 3.5 million due to the unloading of trucks at the Khunjerab border.
Earlier the Chinese authorities have agreed to open this border with stiff COVID-19 norms following consistent requests from Pakistan but later turned away from its words.
But after a meeting at the Pakistan Ministry of Commerce, Beijing again promised to allow goods to cross the border by July 10, for only cargo containers, leaving the goods near the border from where the same would be lifted by Pakistani importers, PT Profit reported.