Pakistan claims Khokhrapar border was never used for trade
Pakistan’s Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab informed the Senate on 25th August, that the Khokhrapar border was never used for trade, adding that the Wagah border was being used for the purpose.
Minister said that the Khokhrapar border crossing lacked facilities needed for the business activities between the two countries like customs. Therefore, he added, it was only used for travelling purpose.
Khokhrapar railway station was established in 2016. Before the independence of Pakistan in 1947, the Sind Mail was run between Hyderabad, Pakistan and Ahmedabad, India via Mirpur Khas, Khokhrapar, Munabao, Barmer, Luni, Jodhpur, Pali, Marwar and Palanpur. After the independence Khokhrapar was the last railway station in Pakistan on Hyderabad, Pakistan - Jodhpur, India railway line and used for customs and immigration.
The train service between Hyderabad, Pakistan and Jodhpur, India closed down after the 1965 war.
In February 2006 Mirpur Khas - Munabao railway line reopened after the conversion of metre gauge railway track to broad gauge. Now Zero Point railway station is the last station in Pakistan on this railway line to customs and immigration.
The railway station on the Indian side is Munabao. It is 13kms away from the border and lies in District Barharmir.
The Thar Express is a continuation of the previous Sind Mail which was revived after a period of 41 years on 18 February 2006. Thar Express is an international passenger train operated weekly by Pakistan Railways between Karachi and Khokhrapar. The trip takes approximately 7 hours, 5 minutes to cover a published distance of 381 kilometres (237 mi), traveling along a stretch of the Karachi–Peshawar Railway Line and Hyderabad–Khokhrapar Branch Line. Upon reaching Zero Point railway station and clearing customs, passengers cross the border to Munabao, India and board the Thar Link Express to Jodhpur.