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The protest by Diamer-Bhasha Dam land-affected communities intensified on Sunday in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan as demonstrators blocked several sections of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in Diamer district, Dawn reported. Protesters warned that they would march towards the dam construction site if their demands were not met.
According to Dawn, the Diamer-Bhasha Dam Land-Affected Committee, under the slogan "Huqooq Do, Dam Banao" (Ensure rights, then build the dam) has been staging sit-ins in Chilas and Thore for five consecutive days. The agitation began over the non-implementation of the agreement reached between the federal government and protesters last year. Organisers said residents from Chilas, Goner Farm, Goharabad and neighbouring areas attempted to march towards Thore valley to join the sit-in. However, police and security forces blocked the KKH near Ghichi and Hudor, stopping convoys from reaching the protest site, Dawn reported. In response, protesters blocked the highway at multiple points, causing massive traffic disruptions. Thousands of passengers travelling between PoGB and other parts of Pakistan were stranded for hours, with long queues of vehicles forming along the KKH. Commuters faced severe hardships due to the closures, Dawn noted. Addressing the demonstrators in Thore, chief organiser Maulana Hazratullah said: "If our convoys are not allowed to reach immediately, we will be forced to move towards the dam site and Thore colony." He accused the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) of obstructing the implementation of the 2025 agreement signed in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's committee. Protest leaders said the sit-in would continue until all demands were fulfilled. They alleged that despite the agreement being more than a year old, not a single clause had been implemented, particularly the regularisation of local contingent and contractual workers. According to reports, 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 from grade 1 to 16, and infrastructural projects. A seven-member federal committee formed last year to address these grievances has failed to deliver results, Dawn earlier reported. (ANI)
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