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Witness History: The Karakoram highway

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Karakoram Highway

13/05/2019 GMT

The Karakoram highway

BBC World Service - Witness History, The Karakoram highway

The road between Pakistan and China took 20 years to complete

The road through the mountains between Pakistan and China took 20 years to complete.  It was finally opened in 1979.

In 1979 one of the great engineering feats of the 20th Century was completed and the Karakoram highway between Pakistan and China was finally opened. The highway, known as the Friendship Highway in China, was started in 1959. Due to its high elevation and the difficult conditions under which it was constructed, it is also sometimes referred to as the 'Eighth Wonder of the World'. Farhana Haider has been speaking to Major General Pervez Akmal who worked on the construction and maintenance of the highway.

(Photo: The majestic Karakoram mountains on the border of Pakistan and China. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

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