"Guarding Chinese martyrs for 100 years is not a long time!"
In Gilgit, northern Pakistan, there is a martyr's cemetery, in which 88 Chinese martyrs are buried.
Guarding their graves was an old Pakistani man named Ali · Ahmed.
In 1977, he took the initiative to apply to the government to protect the cemetery.
From a 20-year-old youth to a gray-haired old man in his 60s, Ali held a broom and a mop and persevered for 47 years, rain or shine.
He has no salary, receives a minimum subsidy, and only eats one meal a day in the most difficult times, and he has no regrets.
And the persistence of all this is only because he knows that these Chinese heroes sacrificed for Pakistan.
The past and present of the China-Pakistan Highway
At the junction of China, India and Pakistan, in western Tibet, there is a world-famous disputed area: Kashmir.
In the half century since the end of World War II, the partition of India and Pakistan has pushed Kashmir to the forefront, and there have been many bloody conflicts between India and Pakistan around Kashmir.
Both sides claimed Kashmir as their own land, and in the end, both sides lost and the dispute was temporarily ended with half of each side's territory.
At that time, although India was stronger than Pakistan, Pakistan was under the protection of United States, and India did not dare to force it too much.
It was not until the 60s of the last century that the international pattern changed greatly, and the United States and the Soviet Union began to actively strive for India, and Pakistan once became an "outcast" of the United States.
Under these circumstances, a second war broke out between India and Pakistan, and this time India spared no hand, and the Pakistani army was defeated one after another, and once attacked the two core provinces of Pakistan, Lahore and Sindh.
At that time, many military experts judged that as long as the Indian army continued to offensive, Pakistan would hold out for another week at most.
It is not easy for the author to be original, 5-second advertisements are inserted in the text, please move your fortune hand, click to watch and read the full text for free, thank you for your support
In the life-and-death crisis, Pakistan has no aid at all, and countries with good relations do not want to be mired in war.
In desperation, the commander of the Pakistani engineering corps quickly visited China and asked for China's assistance.
After all considerations, the mainland believes that India's ambitions are unguarded, and they have been eyeing China's borders in an attempt to take all of South Asia into their pockets.
Source: Hunan Daily
It just so happened that the southwestern frontier of the mainland also needed an ally at that time, and only by aiding Pakistan could India's expansion be stopped.
As a result, the mainland publicly warned India to withdraw its troops and supported Pakistan in maintaining its territorial security, while also transporting large military equipment such as trucks and tanks.
Under strong pressure from China, India had no choice but to withdraw its troops, and Pakistan turned the corner.
But they were really scared this time, worried that India would make a comeback, and then Pakistan would not be given another chance to ask for help.
So after the war, Pakistan took the initiative to find us and asked to build a road between China and Pakistan to facilitate the transportation of materials in the future.
Soldiers came to the aid of Pakistan and built the Heavenly Road
In 1966, the agreement on the construction of the China-Pakistan highway was finalized, according to which each country built its own section of the road.
The total length of the highway is 1,224 kilometers, with a starting point of 415 kilometers in Kashgar in China and 809 kilometers starting in Takot in Pakistan.
For Pakistan, this is a military highway that allows for the rapid transportation of military supplies.
For China, the highway offers the possibility of opening to the west, making it easier for the Xinjiang region to trade with West Asian countries.
Therefore, the China-Pakistan Highway became the number one project of the two countries that year, and was named the "1601" top-secret project.
The task of building the road is carried out by Pakistan's "Army Engineer Unit" and China's "Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps" respectively.
However, it is very difficult to build this China-Pakistan highway.
According to the route setting, the highway starts from Kashgar in Xinjiang in the north and passes through the three major mountain ranges of Karakoram, Himalayas and Hindu Kush, as well as a Pamir Plateau, which is a veritable "heavenly road".
Source: China Highway
In other words, to build the China-Pakistan highway, Chinese workers need to overcome an altitude of 4,000 meters and cross a large number of glaciers and river valleys, which is unprecedented difficulty.
Later, the China-Pakistan Highway was also known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World", which shows that it was not easy to build.
However, the mainland workers and soldiers were able to endure hardships, were not afraid of tiredness, had responsibilities, and resolutely embarked on the journey of conquering the snow-capped mountains with the country and the people in mind.
At the same time, taking into account Pakistan's national conditions, the mainland also donated 50 million yuan worth of in-kind goods to them, including various road construction equipment, parts, and tools.
In addition, there are clean oil, rice, and condiments needed by 1,500 Pakistani road construction workers for three years, just to speed up the progress of the project.
However, due to the difficulty of building the road, Pakistan sent 12,000 people, but it was still unable to complete the task independently.
China had no choice but to come to the aid again and send engineers to Pakistan for 10 years.
The road to heaven was built, and the martyrs were laid to rest
In front of the boundary monument, the soldiers and engineers all turned around, looked up at the five-star red flag fluttering high, and saluted in a dignified manner.
Everyone knows that the road ahead is arduous and the task is arduous, and no one knows whether they can return to the motherland safely after this trip.
In 1966, workers from the two countries fired the first shot in the Pamir Plateau, and the construction of the China-Pakistan Highway officially began.
Although the difficulty of building the road was anticipated, it was found that the challenges posed by natural disasters and high altitude were greatly underestimated.
In February, the weather in northern Xinjiang was cold, and the frozen ground was as solid as a rock, and a pickaxe could only smash a white spot in the permafrost.
On the contrary, the fighters cracked their mouths, and the blood stained the pickaxe red, but even then the soldiers scrambled to be the first to take the pickaxe in their hands every time they went to the construction site.
Moreover, there were no large-scale equipment at that time, and in the mountains and mountains, the soldiers used the simplest tools to chisel the road bit by bit.
When encountering some difficult construction sections, the construction workers are tied to their waists with ropes, hung on the cliffs dozens of meters high, and used steel sledgehammers to shoot holes and fire.
Looking up at the sky, there is an abyss under your feet, and if you are not careful, it will be the end of broken bones.
And due to the high altitude, the fighters often lack oxygen, have difficulty breathing, and sleep at night and are smothered.
Not only that, but the food at high altitude is not cooked, and many soldiers work hard with hunger, and that's it, no one shouts that they are tired.
In the 12 years of aid to the construction project, the two countries have invested more than 22,000 people and made great sacrifices, and 88 Chinese builders have remained on Pakistani soil forever.
In 1978, the completion of the China-Pakistan Highway was completed, and while the two countries celebrated, they did not forget to remember the martyrs, and the city of Gilgit, Pakistan, specially built a martyr's cemetery to bury the bones of 88 martyrs.
After the cemetery was completed, a young man named Ali · Ahmed automatically asked to protect the cemetery without asking for anything in return.
In the process of building the road, he saw with his own eyes that the Chinese worked day and night for Pakistan's development and progress.
Moreover, in Pakistan, people value life very much, and he believes that Chinese sacrifice their lives for Pakistanis is very admirable.
In this way, Ali cleaned the cemetery every day and planted more than 800 pines and cypresses in the cemetery to shelter the martyrs.
Under his care, the cemetery was clean and tidy, there was no snow in winter, no fallen leaves in autumn, and every time someone worshipped, he would also tell about the great efforts of Chinese workers in those years.
In this way, he kept watch until his gray hair was gray, and he always said: "I am not guarding the tomb, but guarding a group of sleeping Chinese children." ”
An inch of mountains and rivers, an inch of blood, a hot land and a soul.
47 years, no salary, completely voluntary to guard the tomb, if this is the heroic grave of the martyrs, then Ali is also a hero who pays silently.
In 2015, Ali received the Friendship Award for the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence from the mainland in recognition of his contributions.
And neither he nor the fighters will pay in vain.
Now, through the expansion, the China-Pakistan Highway has become the starting point of China's economic corridor and is part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor of the "Belt and Road", which has assumed a higher historical significance.
If you like this program, please click "Follow", which is convenient for browsing past works and not missing the next sharing, thank you for your support!
[Disclaimer] The content and pictures of the article are from the Internet, and this article aims to advocate positive social energy and no vulgar and other bad guidance. If it involves copyright or character infringement issues, please contact us in time, and we will delete the content as soon as possible! If there is any suspicious part of the incident, delete or change it immediately after contacting!
References:
1. Hunan Daily: "Re-taking the Karakoram Highway (4)|Aiding Pakistan Heroic Martyrs, Soul Returns", 2023-08-22
2. Xinhua News Agency: "What are the legendary stories of the Karakoram Plateau where the heroes and martyrs on the border swiped the screen?" 》，2021-02-26
3. Beiqing.com: "Guarding the Tombs of Chinese Heroes, The Peace of Pakistani Elderly", 2024-06-29
4. China Highway: How difficult is the "most" highway丨How difficult is the China-Pakistan Highway? Known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World"! 》，2023-03-20