Gilgit-Baltistan has proposed visa-free entry for Chinese tourists through the Khunjerab Pass, aiming to diversify its tourism market and shield the region’s economy from global disruptions. The plan was presented during a high-level briefing in Gilgit attended by PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, newly elected Chief Minister Amjad Hussain, and former governor Qamar Zaman Kaira. Officials argued that the arrangement should mirror the existing system that allows G-B residents to travel to China’s Xinjiang region without visas, and could significantly boost tourism and local business activity.
The proposal comes as tour operators warn that ongoing tensions in the Middle East may sharply reduce Western tourist inflows this summer. With nearly 90 per cent of livelihoods in Gilgit-Baltistan tied to seasonal tourism, industry bodies including the Pakistan Association of Tour Operators, the GB Chamber of Commerce and the Hunza Hotels Association have urged federal authorities to act quickly. They suggest introducing on-arrival visas or special travel permits for Chinese visitors and rationalizing complex security protocols that currently make it difficult to design attractive packages for Chinese tour groups.
Stakeholders highlight that Xinjiang alone receives tens of millions of domestic tourists annually, and even a small redirection of that flow could provide critical economic relief to Gilgit-Baltistan. The Khunjerab Pass already functions as a trade and transit corridor under broader Pakistan-China connectivity, so extending the logic to tourism is seen as a natural progression.
Beyond economics, the measure carries diplomatic weight by deepening people-to-people ties and reinforcing Pakistan’s strategic partnership with China. Bilawal pledged full support for Gilgit-Baltistan’s development, while other demands tabled at the meeting included an international airport in Gilgit, solutions to electricity shortages, and subsidized wheat supply.
If approved, the visa-free entry would mark a shift from dependence on Western visitors toward a more resilient, regionally focused tourism model that leverages geographic proximity and existing cross-border mobility frameworks.
