Gilgit: The protest led by merchants and supported by political parties against the center’s commercial policies intensified on Sunday when protesters blocked the Karakoram highway (KKH) for traffic.
Local importers and exporters have been protesting what they call the exploitation policies of the Federal Income Board (FBR).
A local PML-N leader said that the Federal Government, led by its party, was not serious when addressing the demand of protesters.
The seated against the income agency entered its third day in Gulmat Nagar on Sunday.
The protesters have promised that the road that connects Pakistan with China will remain closed to traffic until the acceptance of their demands.
Thousands of passengers and tourists remained stranded on both sides of the road for many hours, with long tails of vehicles seen on both sides on Sunday.
‘Economic murder’
The call for protest was issued by the Pak-China Traders Action Committee, an alliance that includes the Association of Importers and Exporters of Gilgit-Baltistan; Gilgit-Nagar Chamber of Commerce; and small commercial associations of Nagar, Hunza and Gilgit.
On Sunday, people from all areas of life participated in the sitting.
Meanwhile, several delegations of merchants, academics, members of the civil society of Hunza, Nagar, Gilgit and other areas joined the protesters. Protest leaders, Abbas Mir, Ebad Nagari, Muhammad Ismail and others, said thousands of protesters had been sitting on the road during the last three days, but the authorities reluctant to listen to their genuine complaints.
They regretted that GB has no “industry” or employment opportunities in the private sector. The commercial activity between Pakistan and China through the Khunjerab pass was the largest source of income for the premises, they added.
They added people affiliated with this trade (transporters, merchants, workers, customs authorization agents, hotels owners, small entrepreneurs) have been unemployed during the last seven months due to the suspension of trade in Khunjerab Pass.
They said that protesters have been demanding the authorization of more than 240 shipments trapped in Sust Dry Port during the last seven months under a unique amnesty scheme, since merchants cannot pay billions of rupees in losses.
They said that FBB’s policies and customs in the “economically murdered” locals of Port Dry.
They affirmed that the locals with border passes could not import articles from China and the barter trade between Gilgit-Baltistan and the province of Xinjiang of China have been suspended.
The merchants requested the facilitation of the barter trade between GB and Xinjiang under the 1985 border agreement.
In addition, counterfeit items seized in the Sust Port must be destroyed or auctioned within GB, the protest leaders demanded.
GB has a state in dispute, however, local merchants are paying all taxes and customs tariffs of imported goods.
Failed talks
Addressing the protesters, the president of the PML-N Nagar chapter, Javed Hussain, said the federal government “was not serious when resolving the issue.”
Hussain, also a former member of the GB Assembly, said that commercial policies in other ports in the country have relaxed because “the people of these areas have representation in Parliament.”
“GB people have been paying all taxes, however, the FBR is reluctant to eliminate their shipments.
He said that no tax without representation was a universal law and that the people of GB did not receive representation in the Parliament or the exemption of taxes.
“The Pakistan government even gave amnesty to high profile terrorists. So giving a unique amnesty to eliminate 250 consignments after paying taxes was not a great demand,” he said, “he said.
GB Interior Minister Shams Lone, the member of the Ayub Waziri Assembly and other officials met the protesters and tried to convince them to end the protest. However, conversations failed to produce results.
Government delegations told protesters that their demands were “genuine” and supported by the GB government.
They added that the problems were related to the federal government, and the prime minister has already sent recommendations to Islamabad.
Muhammad Ali Quaid, special prime minister assistant, told the media that the GB government has no power to resolve the demands of the protesters.
He said the issue will be discussed at the next meeting of the Apex committee, including civil and military leaders.
Posted in Dawn, June 2, 2025
