Ghanche District (; ) is a district of Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan in the disputed Kashmir region.
The word "gang" in the Balti language means glacier, and '"che" is used as a superlative term to indicate an abundance. The term is used by the residents of the Khaplu Valley for the Ghanche Nallah, a seasonal stream which flows through the town of Khaplu during the summer season. When the Pakistani government elevated the status of the Ghanche Tehsil to that of a district, the people of the valley selected the name "Ghanche".
It is the eastern-most district of Gilgit-Baltistan. It is the coldest place within Pakistan as it is situated on the "third pole", with temperatures reaching below -20 ðC in the winter. Shyok River flows through Ghanche District. The Khaplu Valley and the Hushe Valley form the gateway for the great Baltoro Muztagh, the subrange of the Karakoram Mountains that includes the mighty peaks of K2 (8,611 m), Broad Peak (8,047 m), the Gasherbrums (8,000+ m) and Masherbrum (7,821 m). Overall less than half the area of district is covered by forests, and a major portion is permanently snow covered.
Until 1820 Ghanche was ruled by Yabghu dynasty, which it close relations with the Maqpon dynasty of Skardu. That year, Ahmad Shah of Skardu invaded and annexed Ghanche. In 1840 the Dogras invaded and conquer Ghanche. In the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, established under British suzerainty in 1846, Ghanche was a part of Skardu tehsil of Ladakh Wazarat. Following 1947 Gilgit Rebellion it along with rest of Baltistan became part of Pakistan. The Ghanche District was first established in 1974, but it was abolished sometimes later. It remained a part of Skardu District until 1989, when it was recreated and given District status.
The Ghanche District is divided into six tehsils:
The six tehsils are divided into 56 union councils, with each council containing many villages. Four villages of the Chorbat Valley were lost in the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971. Those were the villages of Chalunka, Thang, Turtuk, and Tyakshi. Some of them are given in the chart below.
The majority of the people living in Ghanche District belong to Noorbakshia Sufi Islam, with the rest belonging to the Sunni and Shia sects. A religious leader locally called a "bowa" has a very important place in Ghanche society.
Ghanche is one of the most visited tourist destination in Pakistan. Famous places to visit in Ghanche are:
According to the Alif Ailaan Pakistan District Education Rankings 2017, Ghanche is ranked 29th out of 141 districts in terms of education. For facilities and infrastructure, the district is ranked 118th out of 155.