Reviving Ground Transport Communication between Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan

Senior Minister/Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Tariq Farooq Ahmad, said that just as 23 March has a special significance in Pakistan’s history, this day has also acquired a special significance in the history of Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. On the occasion of this historic day, the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, and the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, Khalid Khurshid, have revived ground transportation links between Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan after 75 years of disconnect.

Both leaders have inaugurated the Muzaffarabad to Gilgit bus service and added a new chapter to the history of Kashmir. Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan are two units of the Jammu and Kashmir state. The implementation of the Muzaffarabad to Gilgit bus service is the restoration of connections between both units. After the construction of the Shontar Bai Pass and Shontar Tunnel, the people of both units will come closer, and tourism will flourish in the region. Soon, quotas will be reserved in Azad Kashmir’s government employment for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. Azad Kashmir’s universities and medical colleges will also reserve seats for students from Gilgit-Baltistan.

Today, on the revival of the historical relationship between the people of Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, we congratulate the Prime Minister of Azad Kashmir, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, and the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, Khalid Khurshid. These two personalities have played a historic role in the revival of ground transportation links between both units. Speaking to the media, the Senior Minister said that the Muzaffarabad to Gilgit bus service is a historic and significant step towards strengthening relations between Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan.