Documentary showcases Karakorum Highway construction, completion

RAWALPINDI: The 1,300km Karakoram Highway aka National Highway-35 extends from Hasan Abdal in the Punjab to the Khunjerab Pass in Gilgit-Baltistan, where it crosses into China and becomes China National Highway 314.

Being a monument to the Pak-China friendship, this project, which is often regarded as the eighth wonder of the world, is also known as Friendship Highway. It is one of the highest paved roads in the world, passing through the Karakoram mountain range at maximum elevation of 4,714m (15,466ft) near the Khunjerab Pass.

To honour and recall the historical predicament, a documentary film “Where Men and Mountains Meet” has been produced to showcase construction and completion of the project. The documentary is a testament to the unprecedented sacrifices of the FWO in particular and the Pakistani nation in general. The premiere of documentary was arranged at 'The Arena' Bahria Town on Monday.

Launched in 1959, this project was completed and opened to the public in 1979. On the Pakistani side, the road was constructed by the Frontier Works Organization, employing the Pakistan Army Corps of Engineers.

Karakoram Highway provides a pathway to expeditions for almost all peaks in Gilgit–Baltistan, Kashmir and several peaks in Xinjiang China. The region includes some of the world's largest glaciers like the Baltoro and Siachen Glaciers.

This herculean tasks has witnessed numerous sacrifices so much so that a famous proverb “A life lost every kilometer of the road” came into being. As many as 567 troops (including 11 officers) and 246 civilians lost their lives and more than 980 individuals were injured, mostly in landslides and falls, while building the highway

The documentary includes impressions recorded by the Pakistan Army Engineers Battalions who worked relentlessly to accomplish the gigantic task. They include Lieutenant General (Retired) Javed Nasir, HI (M), SBt (101 Engineers Battalion 1966-1969); Major General (Retired) Sabih Ud Din Bukhari, SI, HI (M) (173 Engineers Battalion Oct 1970 - Oct 1971); Mustansar Hussain Tarrar, Sitara-i-Imtiaz, Pride of Performance Writer, Author; Major General (Retired) Muhammad Afsar GSO-III, 491 Road Construction Group 1966-1968; Brigadier (Retired) Iqbal Ahmed, SI (M) 107 Engineers Battalion 1967-1969; Brigadier (Retired) Mumtaz Khalid Author of “History of Karakorum Highway” July 1969-Oct 1969; Brigadier (Retired) Muhammad Arbi Khan, SI (M) 104 Engineers Battalion, Bridge Construction Group 1970-1972; Colonel (Retired) Tanveer Ahmed; 105 Engineers Battalion 1967-1969; Colonel (Retired) Sajid Bashir Sheikh 108 Engineers Battalion 1969-1971; Major (Retired) Shahid Attaullah 11 ECB and Naib Subedar (Retired) Manzoor Hussain 108 Engineers Battalion 1969-1971.