Anger boils over in POK; thousands block China-Pak highway for 3 days

Thousands of angry residents of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan have taken to the streets against the Shehbaz Sharif-led federal government, blocking the Karakoram Highway – the crown jewel of the CPEC connecting China and Pakistan – for three days. A leader of Sharif's party said while the establishment was compensating terrorists, it failed to aid traders.

The blockade of the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan, part of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK), continued for a third day on Sunday, leading to a complete halt to vehicular traffic on the key route.

Importers and exporters based in Gilgit-Baltistan, backed by political parties, including the ruling PML(N), have been protesting the trade policies of the federal government led by PM Sharif, which they describe as "exploitative" and an "economic murder".

The sit-in protest at Gilgit-Baltistan's Gulmat Nagar saw thousands of protesters, from all walks of life, vowing to keep the highway linking Pakistan and China closed to traffic until their demands were met, reported Karachi-based daily Dawn.

The protesters were also joined by traders, scholars, and civil society members from Hunza, Gilgit and other adjoining towns.

The neglect of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir by Islamabad has resulted in protests at regular intervals.

This protest comes a month after widespread protests broke out in the Gilgit-Baltistan over a proposed bill that people said would enable land and mineral grabs, and prolonged power outages. Demonstrators denounced what they called the illegal occupation of their lands, chanting slogans like "Kabze par kabza namanzoor" (we reject repeated occupations).

THOUSANDS BLOCK PAK-CHINA KARAKORAM HIGHWAY

The protests stem from the suspension of customs clearance for imported consignments from China at Sost Dry Port, which has remained closed for the past six months.

According to the protesting traders, at least 257 consignments have been stuck at the port since December, leading to massive financial losses due to expired goods, daily port charges, and other expenses.

Traders argue that the suspension of clearance has crippled their businesses. They are demanding immediate clearance of the stranded goods through a one-time amnesty scheme, saying they can no longer bear the accumulating damages.

The protest was called by the Pak-China Traders Action Committee, a banner comprising the Gilgit-Baltistan Importers and Exporters Association, the Nagar Chamber of Commerce, and small trade associations from Nagar, Hunza, and Gilgit.

Since the launch of the indefinite blockade on Friday, thousands of passengers and tourists remain stranded on the Karakoram Highway, with long queues of vehicles stretching on both sides on Sunday, according to the Dawn report.

Protesters also chanted slogans against Pakistan Customs and the Gilgit-Baltistan administration, which is controlled by leaders of Imran Khan's PTI.

The protesters highlighted that Gilgit-Baltistan lacked industrial and private sector job opportunities. They noted that trade between Pakistan and China was the primary source of income for the local population.

The protesters said the policies of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Customs Department have "economically murdered" the locals, leaving transporters, shopkeepers, labourers, customs clearance agents, hotel owners, and small businessmen jobless for months, as they rely on trade with China.

Several local PTI leaders met protesters and tried to persuade them to end the protest, but their attempts failed. The government delegations told the protesters that their demands were "genuine" and supported by the Gilgit-Baltistan government.

PML(N) LEADER SLAMS PARTY'S SHARIF-LED FEDERAL GOVT

A local leader of Prime Minister Sharif's PML(N), Javed Hussain, admitted that the federal government, led by his own party, "wasn't serious about addressing the protesters' demands".

Hussain, a former member of the Gilgit-Baltistan Assembly, alleged that the region of POK was facing discrimination due to its lack of representation in Parliament.

"GB people have been paying all taxes, yet the FBR is reluctant to clear their consignments. The government of Pakistan even gave amnesty to high-profile terrorists. So, giving a one-time amnesty to clear 250 consignments after paying taxes was not a big demand," Hussain was quoted as saying by Dawn.

Muhammad Ali Quaid, special assistant to the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, told Dawn that the semi-provincial government lacked the authority to address the protesters' demands, effectively passing the responsibility to the Federal government, led by PM Shehbaz Sharif.

That traders and residents have been forced to take to the streets at frequent intervals shows the apathy and repression in POK by the occupational Islamabad-Rawalpindi establishment.