Hundreds of passengers and carriers remain stranded as residents of Harban in Upper Kohistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, blocks Karakoram Highway (KKH) for a seventh day that requires immediate and higher compensation for land acquired for Diamer-Basha Dam Project.
Sit-in near Harban Nallah has cut off the main route connecting Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) with the rest of the country, created a serious lack of food and medicine, leaving hundreds of trucks carrying goods immobilized.
Witnesses said travelers are stuck on both sides of the highway.
Protest leaders accuse Wapda and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa administration for not honoring promises of compensation payments. “Our land was taken, but the rates were unreasonable and payments have been delayed for years,” said Niamat Khan, one of the organizers.
Officials from Kohistan administration and WAPDA say that whether RS3 billion is due to a total of RS2 billion already transferred to the Deputy Commissioner’s account. They insist that the rest will be released when legal formalities are completed, but protesters reject further delays.
The blockade has driven the prices of vegetables such as onions and tomatoes, while transporting redirected through Babusar Pass taxes steep prices, worsening inflation in the fragile local economy. Dealers and carriers report heavy daily losses.
Civil society groups have criticized the silence of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and question the state. “The authorities in GB and KP seem indifferent while people suffer,” said Mufti Kumail, a trader in Gilgit.
Diamer Valley is particularly affected where residents of Darel and Tangir are unable to travel to Chilas or Gilgit, paralyzing daily life and economic activity.
Protesters promise to continue sit-in until their demands are met, while residents and dealers call on federal and provincial governments to negotiate and restore traffic on the strategic highway.
