Why Gilgit-Baltistan protesters have blocked highway linking Pakistan with China

Protests have erupted in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan against the Shehbaz Sharif-led government’s trade policies. As agitation escalated, demonstrators blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH), a key artery of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), on Sunday (June 1).

Several protests have been reported in Gilgit-Baltistan in recent months, including over the power crisis. But why are locals protesting now?

We will explain.

Locals protest in Gilgit-Baltistan

Local importers and exporters have been staging protests, backed by political parties, in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan . The sit-in entered its third day on Sunday when protesters blocked the Karakoram Highway, disrupting traffic, as per a Dawn report.

The 1,300 km Karakoram Highway connects the Hasan Abdal city near Pakistan’s Islamabad to Kashgar in China’s autonomous Xinjiang region through the Khunjerab Pass.

Thousands of passengers and tourists were stranded on both sides of the highway for hours on Sunday, as long queues of vehicles were reported due to the protests.

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The Pak-China Traders Action Comm­it­tee, a group consisting of the Gilgit-Baltistan Impor­ters and Exporters Asso­ciation, Gilgit-Nagar Cham­ber of Commerce, and small trade associations from Nagar, Hunza and Gilgit, called the sit-in protest. Traders, scholars, and civil society members from these areas participated in the weekend agitation.

Protesters have threatened to keep blocking the road linking Pakistan to China until their demands are met.

Why are locals protesting?

Protesters in Gilgit-Baltistan have taken to the streets against “exploitative policies” of Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), reported Dawn.

Traders are demonstrating against the suspension of trade between Pakistan and China for the past six months.

The protest leaders claim more than 200 consignments imported from China are stuck at the Sost Dry port in Gilgit-Baltistan, with items worth billions of rupees already expired.

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Traders are calling for their clearance under a “one-time amnesty scheme”, citing losses.

They allege the policies of FBR and Customs at Sost Dry Port have “economically murdered” locals.

The protesters said the trade between China and Pakistan through the Khunjerab Pass was the biggest source of income for locals, adding that the suspension of trade has rendered them unemployed.

Local traders have to pay all taxes and customs duties on imported goods despite the disputed status of Gilgit-Baltistan .

The president of PML-N Nagar chapter, Javed Hussain, slammed the Pakistan government, alleging it was “not serious in settling the issue”. As per Dawn, he said trade policies at other ports in Pakistan were eased beca­use “people of those areas have 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 reportedly said.

The Gilgit-Baltistan government told the protesters their demands were “genuine”, but the issue concerned the federal government led by Sharif.

Recent protests in Gilgit-Baltistan

In April, Gilgit-Baltistan witnessed widespread protests over land and mineral grabs and power outages.

Hundreds of locals hit the streets against the Pakistan Army and government. They denounced the proposed Mines and Minerals Bill, saying it would enable the seizure of their land and minerals.

“The mountains, rivers, and minerals are ours. We are the custodians of this land, and we will not allow exploitation without our consent,” a protester said at the time, as per India Today.

In January, hundreds of trucks with goods were stranded at the CPEC dry port as the Karakoram Highway was closed due to a sit-in protest against long power cuts.

Last September, protests emerged in Gilgit-Baltistan as locals opposed the government’s plan to reduce the quantity of subsidised wheat flour and eventually put an end to the subsidy.

With inputs from agencies