Pak-China luxury bus service embarks on maiden trip from Lahore to Kashgar

APP Dawn.com Published November 6, 2018

The Lahore-Kashgar bus has left on its first journey from Lahore. — Photo courtesy Nauman Liaquat

A Pak-China luxury bus service has embarked on its maiden journey from Lahore to the city of Kashgar in China's Xinjiang province, Radio Pakistan reported on Monday.

The PTDC and Shuja Express together have launched the luxury bus service. ─ Photo courtesy Nauman Liaquat

The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) and Shuja Express together launched the bus service between Pakistan and China to facilitate tourists as part of an initiative to connect both countries via road under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.

The Lahore-Kashgar bus will run four days a week, on Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, while the Kashgar-Lahore bus will run on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

The journey will take a total of 36 hours, and the bus will make five stops along the way before it crosses into China at the Khunjerab Pass.

The journey from Lahore to Kashgar will take 36 hours. ─ Photo courtesy Nauman Liaquat

Travellers will require a valid visa and ID card to make the journey.

The one-way fare is Rs13,000, while a round trip will cost Rs23,000, according to Radio Pakistan.

PTDC official Mukhtar Ali told APP on Monday that the bus service would allow visitors, especially monks, to visit sacred Buddhist sites dating back to the Gandhara era.

Pak China Ties

Pakistan

PM Khan terms CPEC 'mechanism' for trade, connectivity at Shanghai expo

PM’s China visit

CPEC and the ‘Great Game’

manish

Nov 06, 2018 11:32am

Pakistan should start flight , this is too costly for me. Rs 23000 round trip is offensive .

Recommend 0

Hindukush

Nov 06, 2018 11:34am

The route of 'friendship'.

Recommend 0

Husain

Nov 06, 2018 11:35am

Very well done

Recommend 0

M. Emad

Nov 06, 2018 11:50am

A Lahore-Kashgar low price air travel is convenient and safe than the 900 km/ 30 hours (one-way 2 days) ''luxury'' bus jounney !

Recommend 0

Iqbal Z K

Nov 06, 2018 11:51am

Nice

Recommend 0

Sakthi

Nov 06, 2018 11:53am

Travelling 36 hours by bus is tedious job.

Recommend 0

Akram

Nov 06, 2018 11:57am

Would be more for tourism rather than convenience.

Recommend 0

Nomansland

Nov 06, 2018 12:06pm

I would rather not travel than spend 1 and a half day in a bus !!

Recommend 0

Crusoe

Nov 06, 2018 12:12pm

@M. Emad, I have lived and worked in China for four years. Taking that route by road is yet my dream just because of the beauty along the way. That road is the highest in the world and thrilling and I will be taking on the trip soon. Flights are convenient but sometimes you have to see the real beauty.

Recommend 0

Chishti

Nov 06, 2018 12:18pm

seems like a symbolic gesture as most of the year this route remains inaccessible due to snow and landslides.

Recommend 0

mani

Nov 06, 2018 12:19pm

It is good but no need to paint these a bus for a special cause. It can be a security threat. Pak

Recommend 0

mani

Nov 06, 2018 12:20pm

got call and missed to complete my last comment. So Pakistan is a safe country but Pakistan need to be safe every time and the enemy need one chance so why to create that one chance also. better to start this service with low advertisement etc.

Recommend 0

Nov 06, 2018 12:20pm

@manish, no Manish, flight will cost you 60K

Recommend 0

Nov 06, 2018 12:21pm

@M. Emad, remember this is good for holidays

Recommend 0

Nov 06, 2018 12:22pm

@Sakthi, I travelled by bus from Saarland Germany to Amsterdam in wifi bus, it was fun.

Recommend 0

Shah

Nov 06, 2018 12:30pm

Imagine a train running between the majestic mountain scene of Northern-Pakistan? That would have been a fantastic CPEC project and would facilitate trade and people´s movement more efficiently.

Recommend 0

Noman

Nov 06, 2018 12:30pm

@M. Emad, this tour is about exploring the beautiful areas of the two counteies, not about economy only.

Recommend 0

sara

Nov 06, 2018 12:31pm

Why from Lahore? It is understandable that the Samjhota Express leaves from Lahore as it is closest to India but China has close proximity with areas other than Lahore!

Recommend 0

Noman

Nov 06, 2018 12:32pm

I think bus should carry the enroute passengers for gilgit baltistan, i ll love to visit in this bus from islamabad to gilgit

Recommend 0

Tamza

Nov 06, 2018 12:34pm

@Sakthi, those who can’t do it complain!!

Recommend 0

Shah

Nov 06, 2018 12:38pm

Who even spend 36 hour in a buss to travel to a neighboring country in 2018? What happened to low cost flights?

Recommend 0

Saif Zulfiqar

Nov 06, 2018 12:42pm

@manish, This journey is not for Indians. Only Pakistanis can avail this luxury trip.

Recommend 0

Saif Zulfiqar

Nov 06, 2018 12:43pm

@M. Emad, Why a Bangladeshi is worried about Pakistanis.

Recommend 0

fairplay

Nov 06, 2018 12:46pm

@Husain, agree

Recommend 0

Satya Jeet

Nov 06, 2018 12:48pm

At this price level and demand it won't run for long.

Recommend 0

zakir ullah

Nov 06, 2018 01:02pm

great effort by pakistani ...

Recommend 0

Masterwong

Nov 06, 2018 01:18pm

@Saif Zulfiqar , Manish could be from Pakistan too.

Recommend 0

Masterwong

Nov 06, 2018 01:20pm

@Saif Zulfiqar , you seem to know peoples nationalities quite well!?

Recommend 0

Ch Saleem

Nov 06, 2018 01:25pm

@manish, why did you pay for this comment? You should really better watch your expenses.

Recommend 0

human

Nov 06, 2018 01:26pm

30 hours in bus,are you joking, aeroplane is better than this

Recommend 0

Faheem Salarzai

Nov 06, 2018 01:26pm

That is a start.

Recommend 0

Masterwong

Nov 06, 2018 01:26pm

This is quite positive. It’s not bad for just about $100, opens up Tajikistan, Tashkent, Kyrgyzstan, Almaty and not to mention a lot of of places in China and up to Mongolia. It’s definitely awesome from adventure/road travellers but not so much for money making tourism..

Recommend 0

Abdul Malik Rahmanzai

Nov 06, 2018 01:28pm

@manish, - The bus trip is for enjoying the scenery. It you want to take a plane take a plane.

Recommend 0

Vishal Gaur

Nov 06, 2018 01:28pm

36 hrs journey on road is not likely to attract tourists.

Recommend 0

BAXAR

Nov 06, 2018 01:42pm

@manish, "Pakistan should start flight , this is too costly for me. Rs 23000 round trip is offensive ." It is not for business travelers, but tourists. You won't see the landscape and the life on the way from a plane.

Recommend 0

Adil Jadoon

Nov 06, 2018 01:54pm

@manish, the route is fun and worth travellling.

Recommend 0

Adil Jadoon

Nov 06, 2018 01:55pm

@Saif Zulfiqar , so mean...

Recommend 0

Adil Jadoon

Nov 06, 2018 01:56pm

@Satya Jeet, even 1 traveller will cover the fuel cost, anything extra is a bonus...

Recommend 0

Zahid

Nov 06, 2018 02:04pm

Can Indians ever wish us well . Not in their character I guess

Recommend 0

Raja M. Kamran

Nov 06, 2018 02:16pm

A very good initiative for tourists. But it should be either through train or air travelling. Everybody wants a comfortable and convenient journey. A 30 hours bus journey would be tiresome and it mars the travelling thrill as well. Five stops are good to an extent but still a long ride of 36 hours is not convenient at all. In fact it's costly as well. Additionally, such a long journey by bus would be prone to security attacks. So, concrete security measures should also be taken to make it secure and more attractive. Long Live Pakistan !

Recommend 0

Vasan

Nov 06, 2018 02:19pm

36 hours travel is really necessary ?

Recommend 0

Priyo

Nov 06, 2018 02:34pm

@Saif Zulfiqar , Why this is not for Indians ? Indians are human beings and have the rights to enjoy nature on the way to Xinjiang

Recommend 0

SZA

Nov 06, 2018 02:35pm

China does not grant visit visas to Pakistanis unless you have a contract with a China based tourism company. Usually these companies are based out of Beijing or Shanghai. So the question is, how do you get a tourist visa to avail this bus service?

Recommend 0

Nov 06, 2018 02:40pm

Good luck but who will use this and for what purpose? 36 hours in a bus is too much. May be whole road you may not have any other vehicle

Recommend 0

Saif Zulfiqar

Nov 06, 2018 02:47pm

@Adil Jadoon, I am a very straight forward and never hide behind the bushes.

Recommend 0

abbastoronto

Nov 06, 2018 03:24pm

Rs. 13,000 one way Lahore-Kashgar is reasonable given that I made the same trip 2 weeks ago for just under Rs 10,000 using multiple much less comfortable vehicles. 36 Hours non-stop can be a bit taxing since none of the 5 stops is an over-night one. However, it is much cheaper than the over Rs 40,000 one way to Kashgar by air, and much much more fun. Every able bodied Pakistani with means should make this trip if visa is not a problem. Breathtaking scenery, great people, great experience. You will never understand CPEC unless you know what is on the route.

Recommend 0

naheed

Nov 06, 2018 03:45pm

instead of this, Pakistan should take steps to ease getting Chinese visas for Pakistanis. At the moment, unless as a group of minimum 5 tourists, it is virtually impossible to get a visa before a few months. This was not the case some years ago until 2013, when Pakistanis could also get a multiple entry visa. I suspect the buses will be carrying few Pakistani passengers.

Recommend 0

Munir

Nov 06, 2018 03:45pm

There is a flight every Wednesday from Islamabad to Kashgar.If i am correct return flight is between rs 36,000 and rs 40,000

Recommend 0

ustamaster

Nov 06, 2018 03:55pm

probably another loss making service.

Recommend 0

Swiss Neutral

Nov 06, 2018 04:14pm

This shows how expensive and useful CPEC is. Enjoy the ride if you can afford

Recommend 0

bhaRAT©

Nov 06, 2018 04:21pm

@manish, "Pakistan should start flight" There are numerous flights to China already. This coach is about sightseeing. So, think before you speak!

Recommend 0

Irfan Takalvi

Nov 06, 2018 04:28pm

The bus is going up to Tashkurgan, which is five hours before Kashgar. People should be given clear information.

Recommend 0

Shahid khan

Nov 06, 2018 05:56pm

@Saif Zulfiqar , I think Pakistanis can’t afford the bus fare .its mainly for Chinese Buddhists to visit sites in Pakistan and facilitate their return . It’s good for the Pakistani economy if this promotes Chinese tourism .howerver a 72 hour travel round trip by bus surely has few takers .

Recommend 0

Prosperous Pakistan

Nov 06, 2018 06:03pm

Forgot to mention different visa rules for chinese and Pakistani's

Recommend 0

khanm

Nov 06, 2018 06:09pm

@Munir, by bus you see a lot... by plane sweet nothing

Recommend 0

AWAN

Nov 06, 2018 09:00pm

@manish, flight... How much you are thinking to pay on flight

Recommend 0

Javed

Nov 06, 2018 09:40pm

It’s costly because there are Few seats to make it a true luxury and comfortable. Price is not bad, they need to improve roads to save time. Takes too long to get there.

Recommend 0

Faran amir qureshi

Nov 07, 2018 02:27am

How can we get china visit visa ?

Recommend 0

Magnanimous approach

Nov 07, 2018 03:17am

While appreciating the bus service, must request for more bus services to the eastern neighborhood India. And both India & Pak must issue easy visa, to further the people to people contact.

Recommend 0

Aaron Bhatti

Nov 07, 2018 08:12am

where is there bus stop?

Recommend 0