PoGB: Tensions rise as protest over Diamer-Bhasha dam enters seventh week

GILGIT(PoGB): The sit-in by those affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam entered its 42nd day on Friday, with no agreement reached between the Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) government and other stakeholders, as reported by the Dawn.

Protesters in Chilas, the district headquarters of Diamer, expressed frustration over the unfulfilled promises related to their 31-point demand list, Dawn reported. The protest movement, titled ‘Huqooq Do, Dam Banao’ (Ensure Rights, Build the Dam), has gained significant support from across PoGB and is expected to intensify following Eid.

The protesters have made it clear that they will not allow the construction of the dam unless their demands are met, the Dawn reported. Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and PoGB, Amir Muqam, who heads the committee formed by the prime minister to address the grievances of the affected people, suggested that the protest committee engage in talks with the government committee to resolve the issues.

For the past 15 days, construction work on the periphery road and offices of the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and other dam-related companies in Chilas have been halted. Multiple rounds of negotiations have failed to produce a resolution.

Maulana Hazratullah, the head of the protest movement committee, addressed the protesters, stating that despite the harsh weather and the ongoing month of Ramadan, thousands of people continue to participate in the sit-in.

He expressed disappointment over the lack of progress in addressing the demands, accusing authorities of delaying tactics and forming committees without taking meaningful action. He emphasized that the protest would only end once the demands are fulfilled, the Dawn reported.

Shabir Ahmed Qureshi, another protest leader, highlighted a recent incident in which five religious scholars, who were in Darel Valley to mobilize support for the protest, were involved in a road accident. Fortunately, all five escaped unharmed. Qureshi blamed the federal and PoGB governments for the negligence that led to such incidents.

Maulana Aftab, another protest leader, stated that the people remain committed to their cause and warned that protests would intensify after Eid. The protest committee has reached out to various political, religious, and civil society groups to rally support for larger protests post-Eid, and plans to continue the sit-in near KKH in Chilas during the festival, Dawn reported.

The protesters’ demands include receiving 80 per cent of the royalty from the Diamer-Bhasha Dam and 30% from the Dasu Dam, access to free electricity from the project for Diamer district, and discounted rates for the rest of PoGB, the Dawn cited.

Other key demands are compensation for 18,000 acres of land acquired for the dam, a financial package for the 3,000 remaining affected families, as well as provisions for commercial and residential plots, and development projects in education, health, and sewage. They also demand jobs for local people at the dam project and the regularization of daily wage workers. (ANI)