Hundreds of passengers and transporters remain stranded as residents of Harban in Upper Kohistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, block the Karakoram Highway (KKH) for a seventh day, demanding immediate and higher compensation for land acquired for the Diamer-Basha Dam project.
The sit-in near Harban Nallah has cut off the main route linking Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) with the rest of the country, creating severe shortages of food and medicine and leaving hundreds of trucks carrying goods immobilised.
Witnesses said travellers are stuck on both sides of the highway.
Protest leaders accuse WAPDA and the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa administration of failing to honour promises on compensation payments. “Our land was taken, but the rates were unfair and payments have been delayed for years,” said Niamat Khan, one of the organisers.
Officials from the Kohistan administration and WAPDA say about Rs3 billion is owed in total, with nearly Rs2 billion already transferred to the deputy commissioner’s account. They insist the remainder will be released once legal formalities are complete, but protesters reject any further delays.
The blockade has driven up prices of vegetables such as onions and tomatoes, while transport rerouted through the Babusar Pass charges steep fares, worsening inflation in the fragile local economy. Traders and transporters report heavy daily losses.
Civil society groups have criticised the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government’s silence, questioning the writ of the state. “Authorities in G-B and K-P appear indifferent while people suffer,” said Mufti Kumail, a trader in Gilgit.
Diamer Valley is particularly affected, with residents of Darel and Tangir unable to travel to Chilas or Gilgit, crippling daily life and economic activity.
Protesters vow to continue the sit-in until their demands are met, while residents and traders urge federal and provincial governments to negotiate and restore traffic on the strategic highway.