Gilgit [PoGB], April 6 — Protests by communities affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam intensified on Sunday in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan as demonstrators blocked several sections of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in Diamer district. Organisers warned they would march toward the dam construction site if their demands were not met.
The Diamer-Bhasha Dam Land-Affected Committee, rallying under the slogan “Huqooq Do, Dam Banao” (Ensure rights, then build the dam), has staged sit-ins in Chilas and Thore for five consecutive days. The agitation began over the non-implementation of an agreement reached last year between the federal government and protesters.
Residents from Chilas, Goner Farm, Goharabad and surrounding areas attempted to march toward Thore valley to join the sit-in, but police and security forces blocked the KKH near Ghichi and Hudor, preventing convoys from reaching the protest site. In response, protesters blocked the highway at multiple points, causing major traffic disruptions and leaving thousands of passengers stranded with long queues forming along the route.
Addressing demonstrators in Thore, chief organiser Maulana Hazratullah warned: “If our convoys are not allowed to reach immediately, we will be forced to move towards the dam site and Thore colony.” Protest leaders accused the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) of obstructing the implementation of the 2025 agreement, saying not a single clause has been carried out—particularly the regularisation of local contingent and contractual workers.
Their 31-point demands include dam royalty rights for PoGB, free electricity for Diamer, compensation for acquired land, financial support for remaining affected families, local hiring across grades 1 to 16, and priority infrastructure projects. A seven-member federal committee formed last year to address grievances has so far failed to deliver results, and protest leaders say the sit-in will continue until all demands are met.
