khyber pass Living The Legends Of Khyber Pass, Pakistan June 7, 2023 by WIK I have always known the importance of the Khyber Pass of Pakistan in the history of ancient India, primarily in stopping invasions from the West. What I did not realize were the legends associated with this narrow mountain pass on the North Western edge of Pakistan, with Afghanistan. khyber pass Khyber Pass Khyber Pass from Peshawar My trip to the Pakistan-Afghan border from Peshawar was to experience what mighty conquerors, courageous travelers, and brave soldiers saw when they reached this narrow gorge in the Spin Ghar spur of the Hindu Kush mountain range. I will try to summarise the experience for you:- Khyber Pass location The Khyber Pass at 1073 m is a 53-km gorge that extends from Torkham town on the border with Nangarhar province Afghanistan to Jamrud town near Peshawar, Pakistan. Khaiber Pass Map Route to the pass from Islamabad The Khyber Pass is 230 km from Islamabad, driving towards the West on the Islamabad Peshawar highway. It takes 3.5 h to get there. Khyber pass Conquerors of the Khyber Pass Because any route south or north of this pass is so treacherous and impassable, historical greats like Cyrus Darius I Alexander’s general Hephaestion Genghis Khan Chandragupta Maurya The original Aryans (indo Iranians) Babur and Mahmood Ghaznavi All came through this pass to ravage Ancient India which included present-day Pakistan. Baba Hamza Chowk, Landikotal Which tribes reside at the Khyber Pass? This pass is traditionally protected by the Shinwari and Afridi tribes of Pakistan, although Orakzai has spilled blood to protect their freedom too. Even the much-hyped Sikh Hari Singh Nalwa General of Ranjit Singh could not get into the mouth of the pass from the Eastern Jamrud side, despite a European nod. Shagai Fort From Distance The History of the Khyber Pass Not even the colonial British could fully subdue the tribal of this area and had to launch expensive campaigns like The 1st Afghan War 1842, 2nd Afghan War 1879 and The Tirah campaign of 1897 To force a treaty with the tribes, in the end, the British had to induct Afridi tribesmen into the Khyber Rifles and pay Malik as protection money for their supply lines. In the 1st Afghan War, the complete British force was annihilated while they retreated through the Khyber Pass, in the 2nd Afghan War, the British surprised the tribal fighters who had laid siege on the Ali Masjid fort by appearing behind their lines from a narrow gorge, unpassable for the military. In the Tirah campaign, Afridi had burned every fort in this pass and entered the Landikotal garrison, to force the British to retreat and come to terms with them. Nowadays, this pass is with the Khyber Rifles of the Pakistan Military and is the safest conduit of drugs, arms, stolen vehicles, and smuggled contraband anywhere along the Pakistan border. Driving through the pass, you don’t feel much has changed since the last 150 years

1. Living The Legends Of Khyber
Pass, Pakistan
June 7, 2023 by WIK
I have always known the importance of the Khyber Pass of Pakistan in
the history of ancient India, primarily in stopping invasions from the
West. What I did not realize were the legends associated with this
narrow mountain pass on the North Western edge of Pakistan, with
Afghanistan.

2. Khyber Pass
Khyber Pass from Peshawar
My trip to the Pakistan-Afghan border from Peshawar was to
experience what mighty conquerors, courageous travelers, and brave
soldiers saw when they reached this narrow gorge in the Spin Ghar
spur of the Hindu Kush mountain range.
I will try to summarise the experience for you:-
Khyber Pass location

3. The Khyber Pass at 1073 m is a 53-km gorge that extends from
Torkham town on the border with Nangarhar province Afghanistan to
Jamrud town near Peshawar, Pakistan.
Khaiber Pass Map
Route to the pass from Islamabad
The Khyber Pass is 230 km from Islamabad, driving towards the West
on the Islamabad Peshawar highway. It takes 3.5 h to get there.

5. Conquerors of the Khyber Pass
Because any route south or north of this pass is so treacherous and
impassable, historical greats like
● Cyrus
● Darius I
● Alexander’s general Hephaestion
● Genghis Khan
● Chandragupta Maurya
● The original Aryans (indo Iranians)
● Babur and
● Mahmood Ghaznavi

6. All came through this pass to ravage Ancient India which included
present-day Pakistan.
Baba Hamza Chowk,
Landikotal

7. Which tribes reside at the Khyber
Pass?
This pass is traditionally protected by the Shinwari and Afridi tribes of
Pakistan, although Orakzai has spilled blood to protect their freedom
too. Even the much-hyped Sikh Hari Singh Nalwa General of Ranjit
Singh could not get into the mouth of the pass from the Eastern
Jamrud side, despite a European nod.
Shagai Fort From Distance
The History of the Khyber Pass

8. Not even the colonial British could fully subdue the tribal of this area
and had to launch expensive campaigns like
● The 1st Afghan War 1842,
● 2nd Afghan War 1879 and
● The Tirah campaign of 1897
To force a treaty with the tribes, in the end, the British had to induct
Afridi tribesmen into the Khyber Rifles and pay Malik as protection
money for their supply lines.
In the 1st Afghan War, the complete British force was annihilated while
they retreated through the Khyber Pass, in the 2nd Afghan War, the
British surprised the tribal fighters who had laid siege on the Ali Masjid
fort by appearing behind their lines from a narrow gorge, unpassable
for the military. In the Tirah campaign, Afridi had burned every fort in
this pass and entered the Landikotal garrison, to force the British to
retreat and come to terms with them.
Nowadays, this pass is with the Khyber Rifles of the Pakistan Military
and is the safest conduit of drugs, arms, stolen vehicles, and
smuggled contraband anywhere along the Pakistan border. Driving
through the pass, you don’t feel much has changed since the last 150
years since the pass, as every 100 meters has a security outpost.
There are more security posts on every ridge along the route than the
people on the roads. It seems that every government department has
set up a check post to fleece traders and travelers
What you do not find are quality schools and hospitals – Pakistan
Zindabad.

9. guard Pos at Khber papss
Content
Bab-e-Khyber (Khyber Monument)
Karkhano Market, Hayatabad
Jamrud Fort of Sikh Hari Singh Nalwa
Shagai Fort
Ali Masjid Mosque

10. Ali Masjid Fort
Ali Masjid field hospital
Khyber Railway steam safari
Sphola Buddhist Stupa
Drug Kingpin Haji Ayub Afridi Compound
Landikotal Garrison
Michni Post Pakistan Afghan border
Guns of Khyber Pass
Khyber Pass Kabab restaurant at Taru Jabba

11. Bab e Khyber
Bab-e-Khyber (Khyber Monument)
Just a few years ago, the lawless tribal area of Pakistan started right
at the edge of Peshawar city at the Khyber monument at a place
called the Karkhano market of Hayatabad. Now, the tribal areas have
been legally merged with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
Karkhano Market, Hayatabad

12. I have been buying quite a few of the commandeered NATO supplies
from this market but now there is nothing much interesting here
anymore since the American troops left Afghanistan.
The moment I left the western edge of Peshawar city, the spin Ghar
mountain range of the Hindu Kush appeared towering in front. The
entrance to the pass can be seen from tens of miles away.
Jamrud Fort, Courtesy Google
Jamrud Fort of Sikh Hari Singh Nalwa

13. Jamrud fort, established by Hari Singh Nalwa is the last bastion of
troops before entering the formidable valley with peaks 700 m in
height on both sides and a stream of water running across half its
length. Hari Singh, despite a nod of approval from the European
colonists, could not enter the Khyber Pass and built a fort right at its
entrance. Nowadays, this fort is a no-go area for every Pakistanis,
somewhat like Area 51.

14. Shagai Fort
Shagai Fort
The last government check post before the start of the Khyber Pass is
the Baghyari post and very soon after appears the Shagai Fort.
Shagai Fort is so close to Ali Masjid that you can visually
communicate from any of the watch towers along its periphery. Shagai

15. is the most recent (1927) of the several dozen forts and guard towers
erected by different rulers of India and Afghanistan along the length of
the Khyber Pass. Even the British Indian Railways built their own
guard posts.
Shagai Fort is rectangular with firing points opening up inside soldier
barracks so that they can shoot while lying down in their beds. There
is a 3×3 ft. cell inside the fort that has housed many famous
personalities that fell out with the powers of the time. The interesting
thing about the fort is that its gangway along the periphery wall spirals
upwards to the top floor. The British even had their ice block factory
inside.
Ali Masjid

16. Ali Masjid Mosque
About 15 min later appears the white-washed Ali Masjid mosque,
which the legend says was built by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
personally, but this may not be true. I hope they preserve the original
structure.
Ali Masjud Fort from Distance
Ali Masjid Fort
Just beside the mosque is the turning toward the cliff overhead that
has the famous Ali Masjid fort. This fort is so strategically placed that it
not only overlooks the narrowest part of Khyber Pass, which was once

17. only 3 m wide but also keeps an eye on the road that brings in
smugglers from the Tirah valley towards the southwest.
It was here that Brigadier Dyer outflanked the Afridi fighters who had
besieged it in 1879.
Ali MAsjid Field
Hospital

18. ALI MASJID FIELD HOSPITAL
Ali Masjid Fort has an ingeniously built military field hospital dug into
the mountainside, 25 m deep. The field hospital is so well preserved
and safe that it can sustain a direct hit from artillery rounds. The
temperature down in the recovery rooms is so chilled that a soldier
would want to be injured to get some recuperation It’s good that the
Army is converting this work of genius to a museum and moving
troops to Shagai fort close by.
The colonial British managed to expand the Ali Masjid bottleneck wide
enough to accommodate a two-way road and a tunneled railway track.
Khyber Pass railway bridge

19. Khyber Railway steam safari
The complete railway track from Peshawar to Landikotal Garrison
contained 32 tunnels and 97 bridges and this engineering marvel was
taught in universities of the day. When the British left Pakistan, the
geniuses who ran Pakistan didn’t feel it necessary to develop local
brains big enough to run these tracks. Now, the last Khyber steam
safari ran through in 2007 and the tracks are unusable.
Sphola Stupa
Sphola Buddhist Stupa

20. Half an hour further ahead are ruins of Sphola stupa. The artifacts and
tablets found at the Buddhist stupa site have been displayed at the
Landikotal Museum. The most interesting among these is the plaster
cast of some holy monk who was buried in the stupa. There was
another stupa up ahead, but that one has been completely raised to
the ground. There is a walking track going up to the Sphola stupa, in
case you are interested.
Haji Ayub Compound
Drug Kingpin Haji Ayub Afridi
Compound

21. Very soon after the Stupa comes the notorious Haji Ayub Afridi’s
compound. I am told the compound had its own water system, power
system, and pools. The total compound must be a few acres in one
direction along the road, all walled up 20 feet high. Ayub Afridi was
Pakistan’s most prolific heroin smuggler, with the help of dubious
elements of the deep state, during the height of the Afghan war with
the Soviets. Some of the drug proceeds were used in funding the
disastrous war. Ayub Afridi had once asserted that he could wipe out
the foreign debt of Pakistan, which was about $20 billion back in the
90s, and the guy soon after disappeared from public view.

22. Landikotal Garrison
A few kilometers later, you have to take a right turn to reach the
Landikotal Garrison, which is supposed to be impenetrable. This
garrison is probably the highest settled point of Khyber Pass. Well, the
Afridi penetrated it pretty easily in the 1897 war and killed the local

23. Muslim Subedar who was honorable enough to defend it while his
British officer abandoned the post and ran to safety in Peshawar. God
bless the few honorable and self-respecting people left in Pakistan,
who work silently to protect the weak against systematic cruelty.
Not only do the leaders of the Tribal rebellion, need to be honored but
also the supporting Mullahs, Akbar Khan Afghan, and the Muslim
soldiers who tried to defend their Gora Sahib – at least they were
Ghairatmand (honorable).
● The current Landikotal Garrison has walls full of pictures
with Western dignitaries like Robert De Niro, George Bush
Senior, Margaret Thatcher, and Lady Diana, etc. who
would love to see their tyrannical colonial culture still
going strong in absentia.

24. ● If this wasn’t enough, they still had a tree chained up to
the ground because a drunk colonial British officer
ordered them to do so.

25. ● I even got to see the legendary Jazail long-range rifle built
in the gun factories of Darra, which won the Anglo-Afghan
war.

26. ● This garrison also has the original Sun Dial timekeeper
and a unique rock with Allah’s name inscribed in it
naturally.

27. ● The military is building another museum here.

28. View from Michni Post
Michni Post Pakistan Afghan border
Finally, driving out of the Garrison we reached the parking area of
Michni post which has one of the best views of the surrounding hills,
deep into Afghanistan. On a clear day, we can see the snowcapped
mountains of the Hindu Kush and a glimpse of Kabul.

29. Michni Post
Panning left to right,
● We get to see the original blast walls built by the British to
protect their border troops from mortar fire from Afghan
posts that are even higher.

30. ● Further right is another solitary peak with Tamer Lane’s
(Taimur) prison. Legend has it that Taimur would slide his
opponents down the Shute on one side of the prison that
had sharp metal blades along the side of the Shute.
These blades would cut open the poor unfortunate fellow
as he slid down to the abyss below, due to gravity.

31. ● Looking straight ahead from the Michni post is the Torkam
border of Pakistan – Afghanistan and the swanky new
trade terminal.

32. New terminal
● Towards the left of the Torkham border post are the ruins
of the fort of an ancient dynasty (Kafir Kot)
● Torkam is where Pakistanis bring their rundown Toyota
land cruisers and have them refurbished with non-custom
paid vehicle bodies. This is the non-custom paid car
market.
● Someone mentioned that you can get the finest drugs that
include, meth, heroin, hash, and Western weapons from
Torkham. Just pay the middleman to get you one. One
guy I know bought a concealable Beretta 9 mm pistol from
a USA-trained commando for a mere Rs 50,000.
More than 1000 heavy-duty vehicles wait for their turn to take their
cargo into Afghanistan.

33. Jalalabad and Kabul are so close to Torkham, I wish we had an easy
visit policy with this neighbor at least. Considering both countries are
basket cases anyways, so bird of a feather, will do pretty well flocking
together? And I have heard nice things about Kabul too.
Afghanistan CIty From Michni Post
There were many other sites to hike around the Michni post,
especially the one closes to the Pakistan – Afghan border, but it left
that for next time.

34. Jazail gun at MIchni Post
Guns of Khyber Pass
The notorious gun makers of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, who know how to
imitate even the best weapon, are not located on this pass, but down
South at Darra Adam Khel (another mountain pass)
Khyber Pass Kabab restaurant at Taru
Jabba
Driving back to Peshawar city, it hardly took me 40 min to reach the
city Centre and get a delicious lunch of Taru Jabba Chappal Kabab.

35. How to get a permit to visit Khyber Pass?
The final permit to visit Michni post and Landikotal Mess is granted by
Frontier Constabulary at Qila Bala Hisar, but you need to approach the
tourism department through their website
https://kp.gov.pk/page/contact#
View from Khyber pass
Conclusion
It is quite difficult getting a permit to visit the Pakistani-Afghanistan
border and might be expensive, but I assure you if your guide is
well-informed, it will be worth it.

36. If you need help in visiting Khyber Pass, please text me at
+923005111523
Also, see,
Things to see in Peshawar
Things to see in Mardan
Things to see in Swabi