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Diamer-Bhasha Dam Protest Blocks Karakoram Highway, Strands Thousands

Protesters in Diamer district have blocked the Karakoram Highway, stranding thousands of travelers, to demand the implementation of a rights agreement for people affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam. The sit-in, part of the 'Huqooq Do, Dam Banao' movement, was triggered by the non-fulfillment of a pact made with the federal government in 2025. Organizers have threatened to march towards the dam construction site if their convoys are not allowed to join the main protest. They accuse Wapda officials of being the main obstacle to enforcing the agreement, which has seen no clauses implemented over a year later.

Key Points: Karakoram Highway Blocked by Dam Protest in PoGB

  • Highway blocked at multiple points
  • Protest over unmet 2025 agreement
  • Thousands of travelers stranded
  • Threat of march to dam site
2 min read

PoGB: Diamer-Bhasha Dam land-affected people block Karakoram Highway, thousands stranded on road

Land-affected people protest Diamer-Bhasha Dam agreement, block highway, stranding travelers. Demands for rights unmet.

"If our convoys... are not allowed to reach Thore immediately, we will be forced to move towards the dam site - Maulana Hazratullah"

Islamabad, April 6

People blocked the Karakoram Highway at various locations in Diamer district of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan to demand rights of Diamer-Bhasha Dam land-affected people and warned that they would hold a long march towards the construction site of the dam if their demands were not met. Several people travelling to and from other parts of Pakistan to PoGB were left stranded due to the sit-in.

The Diamer-Bhasha Dam land-affected committee, under the 'Huqooq Do, Dam Banao' (Ensure rights, then build the dam) movement, has been staging a protest sit-in in Chilas and Thore areas of Diamer for the past five days. The protest has erupted over the non-implementation of the agreement made between the protesters and the federal government in 2025, Pakistan's leading daily, Dawn, reported.

The organisers gave a call for a protest in the Thore valley of Diamer on Sunday. Organisers said that people from Goharabad, Chilas, Goner Farm and other parts of Diamer had started marching towards Thore valley to participate in the protests.

However, law enforcement personnel blocked the Karakoram Highway in the Ghichi and Hudor regions to stop them from reaching Thore.

Protesters blocked the KKH at various points, and a large number of demonstrators in Thore valley held a sit-in. Thousands of people travelling to and from other parts of Pakistan to PoGB were stranded, with long queues of vehicles on the Karakoram Highway.

While addressing the protesters in Thore, chief organiser Maulana Hazratullah said, "If our convoys from other areas are not allowed to reach Thore immediately, we will be forced to move towards the dam site and Thore colony."

He blamed the officials of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) for the situation and described them as the main hurdle in the enforcement of the agreement between the government and protesters, Dawn reported.

The protesters said that the sit-in would end only when the authorities agreed to their demands. They said that Wapda officials had signed an agreement last year to address all issues. However, they said that not a single clause of the agreement had been implemented even after more than a year. They alleged that Wapda has not even met the protesters' basic demand of regularising local contingent and contractual employees.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
While the protest highlights a genuine grievance, blocking a major highway like the KKH causes immense hardship to ordinary people. There has to be a better way to get the government's attention. Thousands stranded is a serious humanitarian issue. The authorities need to engage with the protesters immediately and find a solution.
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Vikram M
It's PoGB, not Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan. Let's be clear about the terminology. This region is an integral part of India. The dam construction itself is illegal. The protest just shows the failure of Pakistan's administration in a region they hold illegally. The people's anger is directed at the right place - WAPDA and the federal government.
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Priya S
So sad to hear about the stranded families. The Karakoram Highway is a lifeline. The core issue is the same everywhere - when big projects come, local people are promised the moon but given nothing. Not regularizing local employees after an agreement is pure betrayal. Hope they get justice soon.
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Rohit P
This is what happens when you don't have a transparent and accountable system. An agreement signed over a year ago and not a single clause implemented? Shameful. The people of Diamer are absolutely right to protest. Blocking the highway is disruptive, but sometimes that's the only language authorities understand. Strength to them! 💪
M
Michael C
Reading this from an international perspective, it's a stark reminder that infrastructure development often comes at a high social cost. The "land-affected" committee has a very legitimate demand for their rights to be ensured *before* the dam is built

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