Hundreds of passengers and transporters remain stranded as residents of Harban in Upper Kohistan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, blocked 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 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 travelers were stuck on both sides of the highway.
Protest leaders accused Wapda and the K-P 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 drove 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 criticised the K-P government's silence, questioning the writ of the state.
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 were met, while residents and traders urged federal and provincial governments to negotiate and restore traffic on the strategic highway.
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