It is located in the Karakoram and holds a significant strategic position on the northern border of Pakistan, specifically in the Gilgit-Baltistan's Hunza and Nagar Districts.

China citing the fact that Mintaka would be more susceptible to air strikes, recommended the steeper Khunjerab Pass instead.

[3] This is not set however, late snowfall in the region attributed to climate-change means the road is accessible even during the winter months.

The Pakistani side features the highest ATM in the world, administered by the National Bank of Pakistan and linked to China UnionPay and the domestic 1LINK switch.

[5] In 2007, consultants[6] were hired to evaluate the construction of a railway through this pass to connect China with transport in Pakistan's Gilgit-Baltistan.