The first link for 'modern' traffic from Northern Pakistan with down country Pakistan was established from the railhead in Havelian via the Kaghan Valley in 1949.
This route followed a mule track built in colonial times to support the British administration and the garrisons in the Gilgit Agency. It was only after independence that the first jeep reached Gilgit - a cul-de-sac of its own - before the track was extended to Hunza in 1957. The road across Babusar Pass (4,173 m) remains open for three months in summer only and during the rest of the year air links transport valuable supplies at high cost.
