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in the Xinjiang region of China .]] The Karakoram Highway (KKH) is the highest paved international road in the world. It connects China to Pakistan across the Karakoram mountain range, through the Khunjerab Pass at a recently confirmed altitude of 4,693 metres (15,397 feet), which makes it by far the highest paved international border crossing in the world. The highway, connecting Northern Areas of Pakistan to the ancient Silk Road , runs about 1,200 km from Kashgar , in the Xinjiang region of China to Havelian in the Abbottabad District of Pakistan. An extension of the highway meets the Grand Trunk Road at Hasan Abdal , west of Islamabad , Pakistan. A large part of the highway runs through the Northern Areas of Pakistan. TOURISM In recent years, the KKH has become something of a destination for adventure travel. The road has also given mountaineers easier access to the many high mountains, glaciers and lakes in the area. The Karakoram Highway provides access to Gilgit and Skardu from Islamabad by road. These are the two major hubs for mountaineering expeditions in the Northern Areas of Pakistan . Mountains and glaciers Karakoram Highway provides the pathway to expeditions for almost all peaks in the Northern Areas of Pakistan and several peaks in Xinjiang China . The regions includes some of of the world's largest glaciers like Baltoro Glacier . Five of the Eight-thousander s (above 8,000m) of the world that are in Pakistan are accessible by Karakoram Highway in one way or the other. The peaks include:
Lakes Several lakes are also made accessible by the Karakoram Highway.
Deosai Plains Deosai Plains , the second highest plains of the world at 4,115 m (13,500 feet) are in the South of Skardu and in the East of the Astore Valley . The plains cover an area of 3,000 square km. The area was declared s Deosai National Park in 1993 . Rock art and petroglyphs Rock art and Petroglyph s are found all along the road in Northern Areas of Pakistan . Karimabad , Hunza Valley is a popular destination in Northern Areas of Pakistan . COMMUTER SERVICE BETWEEN GILGIT AND TAXKORGAN On March 2006, the respective governments announced that, commencing on June 1, 2006 , a daily bus service each way would begin across the boundary from Gilgit , Pakistan to Taxkorgan , China and road widening work would begin on 600 kilometers of the highway. WEATHER The KKH is best travelled in the spring or early autumn. Heavy snow during harsh winters can shut the highway down for extended periods. Heavy Monsoon rains, around July and August, cause occasional mudslides that can block the road for hours or more. The border crossing between China and Pakistan at Khunjerab Pass is open only between May 1 and October 15 of every year. end of the Karakoram Highway.]] HISTORY The KKH was built by the governments of Pakistan and China, and was completed in 1978, after about twenty years of work. Several hundred Pakistanis and Chinese workers lost their lives, mostly in landslides and falls, while working on the highway. The route of the KKH traces one of the many paths of the ancient Silk Road . On the Pakistani side, the road was constructed by FWO (Frontier Works Organization), employing the Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers. Presently Engineer-in-Chief's Branch Pakistan Army is working on a project of documenting the History of Karakoram Highway. Brigadier (Retired) Muhammad Mumtaz Khalid, an old veteran who worked on the road during its construction, is writing the History of Karakoram Highway. Owing to the extremely sensitive state of the Kashmir conflict between India and Pakistan, the Karakoram highway has strategic and military importance. REFERENCES
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