The chief minister of Gilgit-Baltistan and the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have agreed to start negotiations to settle the KP GB boundary dispute, a long-running disagreement over villages and high-altitude areas along the border between the two regions. The agreement was reached at a meeting in Islamabad on Sunday, according to a statement issued by the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister's Secretariat.
The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Amjad Hussain and Governor Faisal Karim Kundi. They also discussed territorial matters, air links to Gilgit-Baltistan and training for relevant officials. An official at the meeting said both sides want a peaceful settlement of disputes that have repeatedly led to tension and violent clashes between communities.
What the two sides agreed
Under the arrangement, the boundary disputes will first be taken up by the chief secretaries of the two regions, who are the most senior civil servants in each administration. Only after that will the matters be referred to their political leadership for deliberation. The stated aim is to resolve disputes involving villages along the KP-GB boundary through mutual understanding and negotiation. The statement did not set out a timetable for the talks.
The Islamabad meeting also focused on air travel. PIA currently runs a 44-seat ATR, a small turboprop aircraft, on the Islamabad-Gilgit route, and limited seats and weather cancellations have made the service hard to rely on. Gilgit airport cannot take larger aircraft. Representatives of the private airline South Air discussed adding services, and an official source said aircraft would be leased against a guarantee from the Gilgit-Baltistan government, with South Air operating flights under a joint venture.
Areas in dispute
Shandur Top, which is home to the world's highest polo ground at around 12,500 feet, is claimed by both provinces. The matter is under consideration by a provincial boundary commission. Babusar Top, which links Mansehra with Diamer through the Kaghan Valley, is another contested area, and its ownership and jurisdiction remain unresolved by the federal government.
The Babusar dispute has also surfaced in land and compensation claims. The Peshawar High Court directed the NHA and the KP government to clear outstanding payments to landowners whose properties were acquired in 2001 for road expansion. A separate dispute involves the Harban tribe of Kohistan and the Thor tribe of Diamer over an eight-kilometre stretch near the Diamer-Bhasha Dam. Questions about areas near the Dassu Dam and Babusar Top have also continued to strain relations between communities on both sides.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- 2001: Properties along the Babusar Top route were acquired for road expansion, leading to compensation claims.
- 2014: A clash over the land near the Diamer-Bhasha Dam killed five people and left 15 injured.
- 2022: A 24-member jirga, a traditional council of elders, defused the Harban-Thor dispute and paved the way for demarcation and compensation for affected Kohistan settlers.
- Sunday, the day before this report was published on 9 November 2026: The Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister and the KP governor agreed in Islamabad to start negotiations.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa aur Gilgit-Baltistan ke rehnumaon ne Islamabad mein ittefaq kiya hai ke sarhad ke purane tanazion par baat cheet shuru ki jaye gi. Pehle dono soobon ke chief secretary yeh masle dekhein ge, phir siyasi qiyadat faisla karegi. Shandur Top aur Babusar Top jaise ilaqon par abhi koi hal nahi aaya hai. Hawai safar ki behtari par bhi baat hui hai, lekin ameli tabdeeli abhi dekhni hogi.
