A Trip to Sost Dry Port Gilgit-Baltistan Pakistan

I am in Sost, Hunza, trying to understand why I am here. There are two reasons for my visit.

Initially, I planned to visit Hunza to experience the autumn season this winter. 

Additionally, I am here to assist my cousin, who recently started working at the Sost dry port. Sost is the only dry port between Pakistan and China at Khunjerab. There are two types of dry ports: one for baggage and small vehicles, and the other for larger shipments, which handles transits, freight, and cargo. It is fascinating to learn that the Sost dry port is crucial for the economy of Hunza-Nagar, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan, and even beyond.

Sost and its inhabitants are fortunate to have a port, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a rich natural ecology, and a shrine. Saint Baba Ghundi is buried in Chapurson, Sost. During my visit there in 2019, I heard a parable that tells the story of Baba Ghundi. When he first arrived in Chapurson from Afghanistan, the local people did not accept him or his devotion to God. In response to their rejection, he prayed for a punishment, and God sent a flood that struck the valley and drowned the people.

This parable is illustrated by the evidence one encounters while traveling from Sost to the Shrine of Baba Ghundi. Along the way, there are small sand stakes that remain from the flood that affected the valley.

Aside from their blessings, the people are facing material deprivation. On this trip, I observed a different side of Sost. This time, it was winter, and the weather was harsh. The temperature hovered around -1 to -2 degrees Celsius, with rain and snow throughout the day. People from Gilgit-Baltistan, China, and Pakistan gathered here to enjoy the benefits of free trade.

It's great to meet friends. These individuals are the pioneers in the trade frontier between China and the rest of the world.


Nayyar Abbas's passion is writing. He earned a bachelor's degree in Economics and Political Science and a master's in Development Studies in Peace and Conflict. He writes about economics, politics, religion, philosophy, and peace. His aim is to highlight classical liberal ideas of economics, politics, and identity changes in a fast-transforming world.

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