Introduction to Pakistan: Section 6: Mountain Ranges, Peaks and Passes
Potowar                     Plateau and the Salt Ranges
Mountainous                 North
In                 the northern part of the country, the Hindu Kush mountains                 converge with the Karakoram Range, a part of the Himalayan                 mountain system. These ranges have a large number of peaks                 ranging from 6000 to 8611 meters above the sea level. Pakistan                 has the densest concentration of high mountains in the world:                 five peaks over 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) and 101 peaks over                 7,000 meters (23,000 feet) above sea level within a radius of                 180 kilometers (112 miles). Thirteen of the worldï¿½s 30 tallest                 peaks are in Pakistan. The tallest include K2 (also known as                 Mount Godwin Austen), the second highest peak in the world at                 8,611 m (28,251 ft), in the Karakoram Range; Nanga Parbat (8,125                 m/26,657 ft) in the Himalayas; and Tirich Mir (7,690 m/25,230                 ft) in the Hindu Kush.
The                 Mountainous North covers the northern parts of Pakistan and                 comprises parallel mountain                 ranges intervened by narrow and deep river valleys. East of the                 Indus River, the mountain                 ranges in general run from east to west. To its west - from                 north to south - run the                 following important mountain ranges:
The                     Himalayas
The                     Karakorams
The                     Hindu Kush
The                 western most parts of the Himalayas fall in Pakistan. The                 sub-Himalayas - the southern                 most ranges - do not rise to great heights (600 - 1200 masl).                 The Lesser Himalayas                 lie to the north of the sub-Himalayas and rise to 1,800 - 4,600                 masl. The Great Himalayas                 are located north of the Lesser Himalayas. They attain snowy                 heights (of more than                 4,600 m).
The Karakoram Ranges in the extreme north rise to an average                 height of 6,100 m. Mount                 Goodwin Austin (K-2) - the second highest peak in the world - is                 8,610 m and located                 in the Karakorams.
The Hindu Kush Mountains take off the western side of the                 Pamir Plateau that is located to                 the west of the Karakorams. These mountains take a southerly                 turn and rise to snowy heights.                 Some of the peaks rise to great heights like Noshaq (7,369 m),                 and Tirich Mir (7,690                 m).
Koh-e-Safaid                 and Waziristan Hills
The Koh-e-Safaid Ranges have an east-west trend and rise to                 an average height of 3,600m. They are commonly covered with                 snow. Sikeram, the highest peak in Koh-e-Safaid Ranges                 rises to 4,760 m. Similarly, the elevation of Waziristan                 Hills ranges from 1,500 and                 3,000 m.
Sulaiman                 and Kirthar Mountains
The Sulaiman-Kirthar Mountain Ranges extending from south of                 Gomal River, lie between                 Balochistan Plateau and the Indus Plains. On reaching the                 Murre-Bugti Hills, they turn                 northward and extend up to Quetta. Further south, they meet the                 Kirthar Mountains, which                 merge in to the Kohistan area of Sindh. The Sulaiman Mountains                 rise to an average height                 of 600 m that decreases southward. Takht-e-Sulaiman (3,487 m)                 and Takatu (3,470m) are the highest peaks of the Sulaiman                 Ranges.
Balochistan                 Plateau
The Balochistan Plateau is located west of the                 Sulaiman-Kirthar Mountains. Its western part                 is dominated by a number of sub-parallel ranges: the Makran                 Coast Range (600 m), and                 the Central Makran Range (900 - 1200 m). The highest peak Ras                 Koh, attains a height of                 3010 m.
Potowar                 Plateau and the Salt Ranges
The Potwar Plateau and the Salt Range region are                 located to the south of the mountainous                 north and lie between the Indus river on the west and the Jhelum                 river on the east.                 Its northern boundary is formed by the Kala Chitta Ranges and the Margalla Hills and                 the southern boundary by the Salt Ranges. The Kala Chitta Range                 rises to an average height                 of 450 - 900 m and extends for about 72 km. The main Potwar                 Plateau extends north                 of the Salt Range. It is an undulating area 300 - 600 m high. The                 Salt Ranges have a steep face towards the south and slope gently                 in to the Potwar Plateau                 in the north. They extend from Jhelum River up to Kalabagh where                 they cross the Indus                 river and enter the Bannu district and rise to an average height                 of 750 - 900 m. Sakesar                 Peak (1,527 m) is the highest point of the Salt Ranges.
Mountain                 Passes
Many                 mountain passes cross Pakistanï¿½s borders with Afghanistan and                 China. Passes crossing over the mountains bordering Afghanistan                 include the Khyber, Bolan, Khojak, Kurram, Tochi, Gomal and                 Karakoram passes. The most well-known and well-traveled is the                 56 kilometer long Khyber Pass in the northwest. It links                 Peshawar in Pakistan with Jalalabad in Afghanistan, where it                 connects to a route leading to the Afghan capital of Kabul. It                 is the widest and lowest of all the mountain passes, reaching a                 maximum elevation of 1,072 m (3,517 ft). The route of the Bolan                 Pass links Quetta in Baluchistan Province with Kandahar in                 Afghanistan; it also serves as a vital link within Pakistan                 between Sind and Baluchistan provinces. Historically, the Khyber                 and Bolan passes were used as the primary routes for invaders to                 enter India from Central Asia, including the armies of Alexander                 the Great. The Tochi pass connects Ghazni in Afghanistan                 with Bannu in Pakistan and the Gomal pass provides an                 easy access from Afghanistan to Dera Ismail Khan in Pakistan and                 the Punjab. Also historically significant is Karakoram Pass,                 on the border with China. For centuries it was part of the                 trading routes known as the Silk Road, which linked China and                 other parts of Asia with Europe.  
Map                         showing major mountain ranges of Pakistan 
Map                         Credit: UNEP                     Environment Assessment Programme for Asia and the Pacific (http://www.rrcap.unep.org)