Khyber Pass

Our buses negotiating bends through the Pass

View of the Pass from Pakistani side. The end of the right foothill marked the boundary between Afghanistan and Pakistan (Durand Line)

View of the Pass from Machini Fort. Countless numbers of vehicles plied the route daily. The Pass is the main communication line between Indian sub-continent to the Central Asian Republics and beyond. Traffic jam is a common sight. Notice the railway tunnel at the top part of the photo. The rail was laid down by the British in 1932. At the height of War against the Soviets, the line was extensively used to transport arms and ammunitions to the Mujahideens fighting in Afghanistan. Now, due to poor maintenance and sabotage, it is no more in use

The narrowest part of Khyber Pass (bottom part). It is so narrow that in the old days this part of the pass is only passable by camels. Now it has been widened to about 30 meters and work is ongoing to further widen it (top part). This place is called Ali Masjid