KHUNJERAB: Finishing nearly 5,000 meters above sea level after hundreds of kilometers winding past blackened glaciers and snow-capped peaks: a new Pakistani race presents a world-class challenge for cyclists — climbing toward the “Roof of the World.”
The Tour de Khunjerab — its name a homage to its more famous French counterpart, which began on Saturday — is still many years away from being another Big Loop, but with a solid claim to being the highest cycling race in the world, it has a lot to offer a certain type of athlete.
In the last week of June, some 88 cyclists, including two teams from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka as well as solo participants from Spain and Switzerland, took part in its second edition.
Less than half completed it within the allotted time.
The four stages — three ranging from 68 to 94 kilometers (42 to 58 miles) plus a shorter time trial — are much shorter than many other cycling events.
But there is one fundamental difference: the Pakistani Tour starts at 1,500 meters above sea level, and never stops climbing.
The final day of this year’s event sums up the challenge.
Starting at 2,800 meters — higher than the Iseran Pass, the summit of the Tour de France — it ends at 4,700 meters, just over 100 meters short of Mont Blanc, Europe’s highest mountain.
The Khunjerab Tour must become “an attraction... for the most daring and adventurous cyclists in the world,” said Usman Ahmed, the top official for the northern Gilgit region, home to some of the planet’s tallest peaks and where the race was held.
The cyclists’ tires swallow up the asphalt of the Karakoram Highway, one of the highest paved roads in the world.
Named after the Karakoram mountain range — just one of the ranges in Gilgit — the road passes through an extraordinary landscape.
Soaring, jagged peaks contrast with vertiginous ravines, glaciers driving a chill wind, and tumbling aquamarine rivers. Landslides are common.
Guardrails are a flimsy suggestion of protection from steep falls of hundreds of feet.
“There is no place in the world that offers all these things,” said Ahmed.
“No doubt it is the toughest cycle race in the world. We are aiming to make it our trademark,” said Haroon General, president of the Pakistan Cycling Federation.
“The most difficult part of the race is the final stage where cyclists face shortage of oxygen and there is risk of heart issues... At such an altitude a person falls down (faints) after running for 200 meters, but our cyclists traveled for almost 59 kilometers,” he said.
Five ambulances were on standby in case of emergencies in the final stage, he said, adding: “A majority of the cyclists made it but the support staff needed ambulances.”
The winner of the event, Najeeb Ullah — a Pakistani from a hilltop village in the southwestern province of Balochistan who won three of the four stages — told AFP that breathing was a “problem” for him in the final climb.
“I had to face a lot of difficulties while reaching the finishing line,” located at the Khunjerab Pass, the border between Pakistan and China, he said.
Especially since altitude was not the only obstacle: On the final day, fierce winds drove snowflakes into the cyclists’ faces, forcing some already struggling to catch their breath to dismount.
“Our entire training is reduced to nothing when we reach the final stage,” lamented Abdullah Aslam, a participant who could not finish the race.
“I could barely pedal and was feeling breathless,” he admitted.
Aslam, a runner from Islamabad, had already had to dismount and walk to the finish on the second day.
“The road was so steep that a majority of the cyclists had to get off their cycles because even a normal vehicle (two-wheel drive) faces issues,” he recalled.
Organizers said in some sections the competitors faced a gradient of 20 percent, an angle rarely seen in such competitions in around the world.
At each stage organizers wearing construction helmets scrutinized the surrounding mountains, peering closely for any sign of the rockfalls that periodically smash on to the road — a potential peril to the cyclists below.
The threat of danger was in stark contrast with the joyful welcome the cyclists received in villages along the route, with residents playing traditional instruments to cheer them on.
“On each mountain, each town, there were welcome signs,” said Ramon Antelo, a Spanish diplomat based in Pakistan, who called the race his “best cycling experience” and now hopes to pull together a team to compete next year.
He added: “A race like this is not in any other place. In Europe, Mont Blanc — you cannot ride it by bike.”
Tour de Impossible? Pakistan hosts ‘world’s toughest cycle race’
Tour de Impossible? Pakistan hosts ‘world’s toughest cycle race’
- 88 cyclists, including participants from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Spain and Switzerland, took part
- Tour starts at 1,500 meters above sea level and never stops climbing
UN agencies express concern over Pakistan’s directive for Afghan nationals to leave capital
- UNHCR and IOM say forced return of Afghans to their home country can place them at increased risk
- They say Pakistan has arrested over 800 Afghan nationals from Islamabad and Rawalpindi since Jan. 1
ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), which operates under the UN system, on Wednesday voiced concern over Pakistan’s directive requiring Afghan nationals to relocate from Islamabad and Rawalpindi or face deportation, urging authorities to consider human rights standards in implementing the policy.
Last year, the Pakistani government announced that Afghan citizens residing in the federal capital would require No Objection Certificates (NOCs) after saying that many of them participated in an anti-government protest launched by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
The development came months after Pakistan launched a deportation drive, citing security concerns, with officials arguing that Afghan nationals had been linked to militancy. However, the Taliban-led administration in Kabul contended that Afghan refugees were being scapegoated and insisted they were not responsible for Pakistan’s security issues.
The UNHCR and IOM said Pakistani authorities have arrested and deported over 800 Afghan nationals from Islamabad and Rawalpindi since January 1, including women and children, further raising concerns among humanitarian organizations. They said they were seeking clarity over the modality and timeframe of Afghan relocation.
“Pakistan has a proud tradition of hosting refugees, saving millions of lives,” Philippa Candler, the UNHCR representative, noted. “This generosity is greatly appreciated.”
“Forced return to Afghanistan could place some people at increased risk,” she added. “We urge Pakistan to continue to provide safety to Afghans at risk, irrespective of their documentation status.”
A UNHCR-issued non-return advisory has been in place since 2021, calling for a suspension of forced returns of Afghan nationals from any country, regardless of their status.
UNHCR and IOM have emphasized the need for a mechanism to register and screen Afghan nationals in Pakistan to provide tailored solutions, including international protection for those in need and legal pathways for individuals with strong socioeconomic and family ties in the country.
“IOM is committed to work with the Government of Pakistan and UNHCR to develop a mechanism to register, manage and screen Afghan nationals in Pakistan,” said IOM Chief of Mission, Mio Sato. “This will open the door to tailored solutions, including international protection to those in need and pathways for Afghan nationals, with long-standing socioeconomic and family ties in the country.”
Pakistan’s Zardari says militants can’t derail China ties, discusses cooperation with Xi
- Zardari acknowledges ‘ups and downs’ in Pakistan-China ties amid shared security concerns
- Chinese president says Beijing is committed to working with Pakistan for greater modernization
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari said on Wednesday militant attacks will not undermine Pakistan’s ties with China, as the two countries pledged to move forward on the next phase of the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).
Zardari issued the statement during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, where both leaders discussed security issues and economic cooperation.
The interaction came amid increasing concerns in Beijing over the security of its workers in Pakistan, many of whom are involved in CPEC infrastructure projects and have been targeted in a series of attacks in recent years.
Despite acknowledging that his country’s friendship with China had “gone through ups and downs,” the Pakistani president said it would not be broken down by militant attacks.
“Pakistan and China will always be friends, all-weather friends,” he said at the opening of talks with Xi. “No matter how many terrors, how many issues crop up in the world, I will stand, Pakistani people will stand with the people of China.”
According to an official Pakistani statement released after the meeting, the two leaders discussed the high-quality development of CPEC 2.0, which aims to expand beyond infrastructure to include other areas.
Initially launched in 2013 as part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the first phase of CPEC focused on transport infrastructure, energy projects and the development of the Gwadar Port.
The next phase, dubbed CPEC 2.0, seeks to emphasize industrialization, agricultural modernization, and partnerships with third countries to enhance regional connectivity and economic growth.
Both leaders emphasized people-to-people exchanges and cultural linkages as key elements of strengthening the China-Pakistan community of shared future in the new era.
President Xi also acknowledged that China and Pakistan have an enduring friendship and have set a model for relations between two countries by advancing the construction of CPEC and cooperation in various fields.
A Chinese-funded $230 million airport, the largest in Pakistan, started operations last month in the coastal city of Gwadar in Balochistan province, where a separatist group has launched multiple attacks targeting many groups including Chinese.
A shipping port in Gwadar is the end of the envisioned economic corridor, which would cross the length of Pakistan to link the western Chinese region of Xinjiang with the Arabian Sea.
“The Chinese side is willing to work with the Pakistani side to move forward hand-in-hand on our respective paths of modernization,” the Chinese president said.
The start of operations at the airport was delayed from last year after a surge in attacks in Balochistan.
Zardari also extended an invitation to Xi to visit Pakistan, highlighting the strong public admiration for the Chinese leader in Pakistan.
Following the meeting, both presidents witnessed the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to boost cooperation in science and technology, clean energy, socio-economic development, and media collaboration.
The event concluded with a state banquet hosted by President Xi in honor of the visiting Pakistani delegation.
-With input from AP
Pakistan health workers kick off polio drive despite snow in Kashmir
- There has been no polio case in the mountainous Himalayan region of Kashmir for 24 years
- Pakistan recorded at least 73 polio cases in 2024, a sharp increase from six cases a year before
SURGAN, Pakistan: Health workers are braving freezing temperatures this week to administer polio vaccinations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir after cases surged nationwide last year.
Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan are the only countries where polio is endemic, and militants have for decades targeted vaccination teams and their security escorts.
A police officer guarding polio vaccinators in the northwest was shot dead by militants on Monday, the first day of the annual campaign that is due to last a week.
In Kashmir, health worker Manzoor Ahmad trudged up snowy mountains as temperatures dipped to minus six degrees Celsius (21 degrees Fahrenheit) to administer polio vaccinations in the region.
“It is a mountainous, hard area... we arrive here for polio vaccination despite the three feet of snowfall,” Ahmad, who heads the polio campaign in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, told AFP.
Social worker Mehnaz, who goes by one name and has been helping the vaccinators since 2018, said the difficult climate poses a huge risk to the vaccination teams.
“We have no monthly salary... we come here to give polio shots to the children despite the glaciers and avalanches,” she told AFP.
“We risk our lives and leave our children at home.”
The challenge is larger this year for the country with a population of 240 million, after it recorded at least 73 polio cases in 2024 — a sharp increase from just six cases the year before.
Health workers aim to vaccinate approximately 1,700 children within a week in the town of Surgan, around 150 kilometers (90 miles) north of Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
“Our target is to give polio shots to 750,000 children below the age of five. There are 4,000 polio teams that visit house-to-house,” Ahmad said.
“There have been no polio cases in Kashmir for the last 24 years,” he added with pride.
Polio can easily be prevented by an oral vaccine, but in the past some conservative religious leaders have falsely claimed that the vaccine contains pork or alcohol, declaring it forbidden for Muslims to consume.
Pakistan and China agree to boost intelligence sharing in high-level security talks in Beijing
- Both nations share concerns over militant violence, particularly due to attacks on Chinese nationals in Pakistan
- The two countries also discuss border security and advancing high-quality development under CPEC projects
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and China discussed security cooperation on Wednesday, agreeing to enhance intelligence sharing to address growing threats during a high-level meeting in Beijing, according to an official statement circulated by the interior ministry.
The two nations share concerns over militant violence, particularly due to attacks on Chinese nationals working on the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects in various Pakistani cities. Such incidents have prompted Beijing to call for enhanced security measures.
Last year, several Chinese nationals lost their lives in deadly suicide bombings, the most recent of which occurred in October 2024, killing two Chinese engineers near Karachi airport just days before the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in the federal capital.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who is currently accompanying President Asif Ali Zardari on a five-day visit to China, met with his Chinese counterpart, Qi Yanjun, in Beijing to discuss concrete measures to bolster security and strengthen intelligence-sharing mechanisms.
“The meeting focused on improving intelligence coordination between the two countries,” said the official Pakistani statement.
It noted that discussions included an exchange on modern technology for police and paramilitary forces, as well as a detailed discussion on acquiring advanced equipment from China for law enforcement agencies.
The talks further covered border security cooperation, including measures to safeguard key routes and infrastructure projects. Both sides expressed a commitment to deeper collaboration in law enforcement and counterterrorism efforts.
Beyond security cooperation, the two countries are also working to establish special economic zones and encourage private sector partnerships to deepen economic ties. The development of these zones is a key component of CPEC, aiming to boost industrialization and economic growth in Pakistan.
President Zardari also met with Zhao Leji, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, to reaffirm the enduring friendship between Pakistan and China.
Both officials emphasized strategic mutual trust and discussed advancing CPEC’s high-quality development, focusing on cooperation in science and technology, renewable energy, infrastructure and agriculture.
Saudi cabinet approves memorandum of understanding with Pakistan to combat financial crimes
- The development signifies deepening strategic relations between the Kingdom and the South Asian state
- MoU was signed between Pakistan’s Financial Monitoring Unit and Saudi Department of Financial Investigation
ISLAMABAD: Saudi Arabia’s cabinet, chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has approved a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Pakistan’s Financial Monitoring Unit (FMU) to enhance cooperation in combating money laundering, terrorist financing and related crimes, the Saudi Press Agency reported this week.
Pakistan has faced significant challenges with money laundering and terrorist financing in recent years, leading to its placement on the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) grey list in June 2018.
After implementing comprehensive reforms to strengthen its financial system, the country was removed from the grey list in October 2022.
The FMU, established under the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2010, serves as Pakistan’s financial intelligence unit, responsible for analyzing suspicious transaction reports and coordinating with international counterparts.
“[The cabinet approved] a memorandum of understanding between the General Department of Financial Investigation at the Presidency of State Security in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Financial Monitoring Unit in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan regarding cooperation in exchanging investigations related to money laundering, terrorist financing, and related crimes,” the SPA reported.
The MoU signifies the deepening strategic relations between Saudi Arabia and Pakistan. A significant Pakistani diaspora resides in the Kingdom, and numerous Pakistani businesses have established a presence there.
Saudi Arabia has been a key supporter of Pakistan’s economy, bolstering its reserves with substantial deposits in the State Bank of Pakistan and offering deferred oil payment facilities.
The Saudi cabinet also highlighted the Kingdom’s hosting of the INTERPOL Regional Bureau as a significant step, saying it underscored international recognition of the Kingdom’s pivotal role in combating extremism and other crime in their different forms.
