- Massive Protests in Gilgit-Baltistan: Thousands of residents in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), particularly in Hunza Valley, blocked the Karakoram Highway for six days to protest against the Pakistani establishment.
- Core Issues: The protests stem from a severe power crisis (23-hour daily power cuts), economic neglect, and mismanagement by the Pakistani government, particularly affecting local communities in Gilgit-Baltistan.
- China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Impact: The blockade of the Karakoram Highway, a critical CPEC route, highlights vulnerabilities in this multi-billion-dollar project, raising concerns for China and Pakistan.
- Economic Losses: Suspended customs clearances at the border have led to 257 consignments being stuck, causing financial losses, expiring goods, and mounting port charges for transporters.
- Local Grievances: Residents demand better infrastructure, electricity, healthcare, education, and greater autonomy, accusing the government of favoring elites and neglecting local needs.
- Civil Disobedience Movement: The protests mark one of the most significant civil disobedience movements in recent years, with potential for broader political implications.
- Government Response: Initially downplayed by the central government, the protests have pressured authorities due to economic costs, with even local leaders from the ruling PML-N party criticizing the government’s inaction.
- Broader Implications: The unrest strengthens India’s claim over PoK, highlights local discontent with CPEC benefits skewed toward elites, and raises international attention, particularly from Indian media.
In recent times, Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), particularly the Gilgit-Baltistan region, has witnessed massive protests that have reverberated across the region and beyond. Thousands of residents, frustrated by decades of neglect, mismanagement, and exploitation, took to the streets, blocking the strategic Karakoram Highway for six days.
This highway, a critical artery of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), connects Kashgar in China to Islamabad through Gilgit-Baltistan. The protests, centered in Hunza Valley, underscore deep-seated grievances against the Pakistani establishment, ranging from severe power shortages to economic marginalization.
Pakistan illegally occupied the part of beautiful Kashmir. Unfortunately it is the people of that place that are now suffering. How desperately they must be thinking of their friends on the Indian Side and be jealous of them. They became part of a loser country that further used their territory for terrorism. While the part which was rescued by India thrives, the POK perishes. The only problem Kashmir faces is due to terrorism and brain wash.
Pakistan and many other countries have put their faith in China. The world knows that China is a leech. It will suck the blood out of them. Many small countries have fallen prey to China. Examples are Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal. The fact is that China has bribed and influenced the leadership of these countries promising them riches and power.
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The Karakoram Highway Blockade
The Karakoram Highway, often referred to as the China-Pakistan Highway, is a vital link in the CPEC, a flagship project under China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Stretching from Kashgar in China’s Xinjiang region through Gilgit-Baltistan to Islamabad, the highway facilitates trade and connectivity between the two nations.
However, in a significant act of civil disobedience, thousands of residents in Hunza Valley blocked this highway for six days, bringing trade and transport to a standstill.
The protests were sparked by a combination of local grievances and systemic neglect. Residents, including women, youth, elderly individuals, and local political leaders, organized through various committees and associations to demand their rights. Slogans such as “Stop Power Theft,” “Hunza Restore Our Rights,” and “Not Just the Lights, CPEC Can Wait, Our Children Cannot” echoed during the demonstrations, reflecting the depth of public anger.
Root Causes of the Protests
The unrest in Gilgit-Baltistan is driven by multiple interconnected issues:
1. Severe Power Crisis
One of the primary triggers for the protests is the acute power crisis in the region. Despite Gilgit-Baltistan’s significant hydropower generation potential, local residents face up to 23 hours of daily power cuts, even during freezing winter conditions. This irony is stark: the region produces substantial electricity, but it is primarily diverted to urban centers in Pakistan, leaving locals without basic heating and cooking facilities. The lack of reliable electricity has made daily life nearly impossible, fueling public outrage.
2. Economic Neglect and Exploitation
The local population accuses the Pakistani government of prioritizing elites while neglecting the needs of Gilgit-Baltistan’s residents. Despite the region’s rich natural resources and strategic importance, locals receive minimal benefits from projects like CPEC. Jobs, services, and infrastructure development primarily serve external interests, particularly Pakistan’s Punjab province, leaving local communities marginalized.
3. Suspension of Customs Clearances
A significant trigger for the protests was the suspension of customs clearances at the China-Pakistan border for the past six months. This has resulted in approximately 257 consignments being stuck, leading to expiring goods, financial losses for transporters, and accumulating port charges. Daily-wage earners and transporters have been hit hard, accusing the authorities of deliberately causing economic distress.
4. Unfulfilled Promises
The Pakistani government has repeatedly failed to honor commitments to improve local infrastructure, including electricity, healthcare, and education. Promises to fund thermal generators and upgrade local power stations have gone unfulfilled, further eroding trust in the administration.
The government has taken over the place but fails to provide basic necessity. The thing is the Pakistani Government and the Army does not care about those people. Unlike India, where we actually think about the people, Pakistan just has interests in filling its purses and exploiting the territory. Only thing Pakistan has extracted from Kashmir is terrorism.
5. Demand for Greater Autonomy
The protests reflect a broader demand for greater autonomy and constitutional recognition. Locals feel excluded from decision-making processes and believe that the benefits of CPEC and other projects are disproportionately reaped by Pakistan’s elite. The environmental and social costs of these projects, however, are borne by the local population, exacerbating their sense of exploitation.
Impact on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
The blockade of the Karakoram Highway has exposed the strategic vulnerabilities of CPEC, a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure project aimed at enhancing trade and connectivity between China and Pakistan.
The protests have disrupted trade routes, raising concerns in Beijing about the safety and reliability of this critical corridor. China has reportedly pressured Pakistan to resolve the unrest swiftly to protect its investments.
The unrest also highlights the growing discontent with CPEC among local communities. While the project promises economic development, locals argue that it primarily benefits Pakistan’s elite and external stakeholders. The lack of tangible benefits for Gilgit-Baltistan’s residents, coupled with the environmental and social costs of CPEC, has fueled resentment and resistance.
Government Response and Political Fallout
Initially, the Pakistani central government attempted to downplay the protests, dismissing them as minor disturbances. However, the economic costs of the highway blockade, including losses from stuck consignments and disrupted trade, forced the government to take notice. Even local leaders from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party, including those associated with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, have criticized the government’s failure to address the crisis effectively.
The protests have also sparked broader political implications. Analysts suggest that if the issues remain unresolved, the unrest could evolve into a larger political movement, potentially destabilizing the region further. The participation of diverse groups, including women, youth, and local leaders, underscores the widespread dissatisfaction with the government’s governance and policies.
Broader Implications and International Attention
The protests in Gilgit-Baltistan have drawn significant international attention, particularly from India. As PoK is considered an integral part of India, Indian media and policymakers closely monitor developments in the region. The unrest strengthens India’s claim over PoK, as it highlights the dissatisfaction of local residents with Pakistani governance. The protests also underscore the geopolitical significance of the region, given its strategic location and role in CPEC.
Moreover, the protests are not isolated to Hunza Valley. Similar grievances have been reported in other parts of PoK, including Skardu, Astore, and Diamer, where residents are frustrated with governance and service delivery issues. This widespread discontent could amplify calls for autonomy and recognition, posing a challenge to Pakistan’s control over the region.
The protests in Gilgit-Baltistan represent a significant civil disobedience movement, driven by a severe power crisis, economic neglect, and unfulfilled promises by the Pakistani government. The blockade of the Karakoram Highway has not only disrupted a critical trade route but also exposed the vulnerabilities of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor. As locals demand greater autonomy, better infrastructure, and fair treatment, the unrest underscores the broader issues of exploitation and mismanagement in POK.
For some strange reason, world and the west sympathies with Pakistan. The conveniently fail to see the atrocities and crimes committed by Pakistan. The atrocities in Bangladesh to torturing of Indian Soldiers during Kargil war, the instances are numerous in number. Osama Bin Laden was found in Pakistan. He was comfortably enjoying in Pakistan that too near a military base. But the world turns a blind eye to these facts and cradles Pakistan.
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Also Read:
Anger boils over in POK; thousands block China-Pak highway for 3 days
1947 First Kashmir War: How India lost the POK and Pakistan turned it into a terror hub