Chilas
Chilas (Urdu: چلاس) is a city in Pakistani-administered Gilgit–Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region. It is the divisional capital of Diamer Division and is located on the Indus River. It is part of the Silk Road, connected by the Karakoram Highway and N-90 National Highway to Islamabad and Peshawar in the southwest, via Hazara and Malakand divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. To the north, Chilas connects to the cities of Tashkurgan and Kashgar in Xinjiang, China, via Gilgit, Aliabad, Sust, and the Khunjerab Pass.
Chilas
چلاس | |
|---|---|
City administered by Pakistan | |
The Indus River near Chilas | |
Interactive map of Chilas | |
A map showing Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan shaded in sage-green colour in the disputed Kashmir region | |
| Coordinates: 35°25′10″N 74°05′40″E | |
| Administering country | Pakistan |
| Autonomous state | Gilgit-Baltistan |
| District | Diamer District |
| Elevation | 1,265 m (4,150 ft) |
| Population (2017-2017) | |
| • Total | 214,000 |
| Languages | |
| • Official | Urdu, Shina |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (PST) |
| PIN | 14100 – 1xx |
Chilas is the headquarters of Diamir district. The weather is hot and dry in the summer and dry and cold in the winter. It can be reached by the Karakoram highway and also through the Kaghan valley and the Babusar Pass. Chilas is on the left bank of the Indus River. The beautiful Fairy Meadows National Park and Nanga Parbat, the ninth highest peak in the world, are also located in Chilas.
Karakoram International University recently opened a sub-campus in Chilas.