THE KHYBER PASS, Dec. (Delayed)—With the war closing Pakistan's airfields and ports, this tortuous mountain road that was once a glory of the British empire and remains a legend of high adventure, has taken on a more practical significance.

The Khyber Pass has become West Pakistan's only practical link with the outside world. It leads to no more accessible country than Afghanistan. But from Kabul, the Afghan capital, regular plane service to other countries is available.

Although the war has given this marvelously engineered military road through spectacular and barren mountains new significance and more traffic, very little of the war itself is reflected along its winding 28 miles.

Camel caravans still trudge in sedate single file on the paths marked for them with pictures. This afternoon there were many men bearing various kinds of firearms in the pass, but they were civilians.

Arms a Tribal Custom

An old Khyber Pass hand explained that tribal custom called for the bearing of arms in these mountains.

No special security measures appear to have been taken along the strategic road. A steady flow of ramshackle buses wind along, carrying between the neighboring countries mountain people who do not really recognize borders.

Despite the war there's no let‐up in the flow of young people who, bored with the material well‐being of their own countries, look for relevance among the poorest of the poor. Today there seemed to be as many wild‐haired and sandaled Americans, West Germans, British or Swiss entering a country at war at the Torkham border station as there were others leaving for Afghanistan. They were treated on both sides of the border with the same indifferent tolerance.

Envoys Leave This Way

Many diplomats assigned to Islamabad, the new Pakistani capital, who were caught abroad by the outbreak of war, are returning to their posts hurriedly by way of the Khyber Pass. The airport before a flight to Kabul looks like a meeting place for the Islamabad jet set. The impression is heightened by seven Pakistan International Airlines jetliners parked in front of the terminal, apparently for the duration.

Journalists and television teams are rushing along the Khyber Pass to Rawalpindi as the only way from which to cover the fighting in West. Pakistan.