There are several passes that connect Pakistan with Tajikistan–most notably the Dorah Pass, the Broghol Pass from the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan, Shandur Top from Gilgit, and Lowari Top from Dir in Pakistan. Roads can connect through all these passes. The Dorrah Pass has been picked to connecting Chitral City to Tajikistan.
The Dorah Pass on the Afghan-Pakistan-Tajik border is more than 4,300 meter (14,000 feet) high. The pass crosses the Hindu Kush. Situated at the foot of pass is Lake Hauzi-Dorah (called Lake Dufferin during colonial times). The lake is roughly 2¾ miles long by over 1/4 miles broad.
Dorah Pass was the route taken by Marco Polo and is situated in the Pamir region of the Wakhan corridor, a high plateau sometimes called “The roof of the world” that joins Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, China. Dorah Pass came into worldwide focus during the USSR’s invasion of Afghanistan. The USSR was unable to stop the flow of arms supplies and men back and forth across the pass. Under pressure, “almost the entire Munji-speaking population of Afghanistan” migrated across the border to Chitral during the War in Afghanistan.
1. Chitral to Booni 87 km Black topped 1996 2 hours 4000 – 5000 (truck able) All weather
2. Booni to Mastuj 33 km Shingle 1976 2 hours 5000 6500 (truck able) All weather
Black topping from Booni to Mastuj and to Shandur Pass is started in 2008.
3. Mastuj to Brep 30 km Shingle 1985 2 hours 6500 – 7500 (jeep able) All weather
Blacktopping from Mastuj to Brep is approved with fund provided by Provincial Government
4. Brep to Darband 42 km Shingle 1987 3 hours 7500 – 9000 Jeep able All weather
5. Darband to Yarkhun Lasht 30 km Shingle 1990 2 hours 9000 – 11000 Jeep able All weather
Broghel Pass to Shikashum Truckable 100 km 3 hours 12480 – 10000
Zardari Rahmonov expedite Chitral to Ishkashim road link, establish rail air links
Mountain passes of Afghanistan (Photo credit: Wikipedia). Shikashum (Eshkashem) Afghanistan and Shikashum Tajikistan are border villages located on either sides of
Oxus River called River Amu. Only 3 hours safe drive from Broghel Pass through safe Wakhan to
Shikashum (Eshkashem?) before entering Tajikistan.
Safest link road can easily be built from Vadinkhot to Broghel Pass (20 km). No glacier, rocks, mountains on the way from Chitral to Broghel Pass. Heavy snow can sometime stops traffic.
President Asif Ali Zardari and his Tajik President Emomali Rahmonov of Tajikistan signed several agreements to complete road, rail and air links.
Rupee News has written an extensive report on the Pakistan vs. Tajikistan road via the Wakhan Corridor. The Wakhan corridor is disputed territory that was illegally transferred by the British to Afghanistan, to build a buffer between Tzarist Russia and Georgian Britain.
The safest link road can easily be built from Vadinkhot to Broghel Pass (20 km). No glacier, rocks, mountains on the way from Chitral to Broghel Pass. Heavy snow can sometime stops traffic.
http://rupeenews.com/2013/03/tajikistan-completes-its-link-road-to-gwader-pakistan-building-gilgit-to-durrah-pass/
Both the Pakistan and Tajik presidents reiterated, what has been documented in MOUs to build Tajik Air flights on Dushanbe-Islamabad-Dubai. President Zardari also said that he looked forward to Tajikistan’s Somon Air’s flights to Pakistan.
President Zardari also praised the other projects in the areas–like the ongoing Tajikistan-Turkmenistan road and rail links, the Afghan Tajik rail links, and gas pipeline through Afghanistan. Mr. Zardari describe them as “welcome developments, not only for both the countries, but also for the entire region”.
Both the countries recommitted themselves to connect Chitral to Ishkashim.
There are suggestions on alternative routes to connect to Tajikistan. Rupee News recommends using the Broghul Pass, because it quickly traverses Afghanistan and gets to Tajikistan. It also is near to China and traverses the Wakhan Corridor straight into Tajikistan:
-
The road in purple is the current road system to get to Tajiksitan. The red road shows the possibility through the Dorrah Pass on the Western end of the Wakhan.
There are several passes that connect Pakistan with Tajikistan–most notably the Dorah Pass, the Broghol Pass from the Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan, Shandur Top from Gilgit, and Lowari Top from Dir in Pakistan. Roads can connect through all these passes. The Forrah Pass has been picked to connecting Chitral City to Tajikistan
The Dorah Pass on the Afghan-Pakistan-Tajik border is more than 4,300 meter (14,000 feet) high. The pass crosses the Hindu Kush. Situated at the foot of pass is Lake Hauzi-Dorah (called Lake Dufferin during colonial times). The lake is roughly 2¾ miles long by over 1/4 miles broad.Kabul has signed a deal with former Ottoman neighbors Turkmenistan and Tajikistan to build a new railway linking the three nations. Presidents Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan, Gurbanguli Berdymukhamedov of Turkmenistan and Emomali Rakhmon of Tajikistan inked the preliminary agreement Wednesday in the Turkmen capital.
-
English: The Russian-British border, c. 1865, before the creation of the Wakhan Corridor. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The 400-kilometer (250-mile) railroad would link landlocked Afghanistan to a regional transport network, increasing the country’s export potential.
- It would link the Afghan town of Akina-Andhoi, about 650 kilometers (400 miles) northwest of Kabul to Atamyrat in Turkmenistan and Pyandzh in Tajikistan.
- The construction of the new railway is set to start in July in Turkmenistan. Turkmen workers will also build the Afghan segment of the railway.
- A 75-kilometer (47-mile) line from Afghanistan into Uzbekistan began operating in December 2011.
Rupee News recommends that Pakistan build the Pakistan to Tajikistan road link via the Broghul Pass (Northeast portion of he Wakhan), and not the Dorah Pass (Western part of the Wakhan Corridor).
English: Map of Wakh?n. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is what Mir Wazir Khan Awi, Chitral 26 Nov 09 says: “It further strengthens the plea that the highway should pass via Broghul Pass because that would also connect large part of Chitral with Tajikistan. Half of Chitral including Mulkow, Torkow and Mastuj are located in Upper Chitral and in the event of constructing the highway via Brogul Pass; this large area of Chitral from Broghul up to Danin would be covered and would get maximum benefits from the highway.”
The highway could also be connected easily with adjoining areas of Northern Pakistan via Shandur Pass at minimum cost thereby connecting almost whole of Chitral with Tajikistan and Northern Areas
Related articles
