Gilgit-Baltistan: The ongoing protest led by traders in Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) against the federal government's trade policies intensified on Sunday as demonstrators blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH), paralyzing traffic and leaving thousands of passengers and tourists stranded for hours.
According to reports, local importers and exporters are protesting what they describe as the exploitative policies of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). A local leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and criticized the federal government for its lack of seriousness in addressing the protesters' demands.
The sit-in, now in its third consecutive day, is being held in Ghulmet, Nagar. Protesters vowed to keep the strategic KKH — which connects Pakistan with China — closed until their demands are met.
The protest was called by the Pak-China Traders Action Committee, an alliance of the Gilgit-Baltistan Importers and Exporters Association, the Gilgit-Nagar Chamber of Commerce, and small trade bodies from Gilgit, Hunza, and Nagar.
On Sunday, the protest drew support from all segments of society, with delegations of traders, religious leaders, and civil society members joining from various regions including Hunza, Nagar, and Gilgit.
Protest leaders Abbas Mir, Abad Nagri, Muhammad Ismail, and others criticized authorities for ignoring the demonstrators’ genuine grievances. They lamented the lack of industries and job opportunities in the private sector in GB, noting that trade through the Khunjerab Pass was the primary source of income for many residents.
They said that due to the suspension of trade via the Khunjerab Pass for the past seven months, thousands of people — including transporters, shopkeepers, laborers, customs clearance agents, hotel owners, and small traders — have lost their livelihoods.
The leaders demanded a one-time amnesty to clear over 240 consignments stranded at the Sost Dry Port, saying local traders cannot afford the losses worth billions of rupees. They accused the FBR and customs authorities of carrying out “economic murder” of the local population through oppressive policies.
Protesters also claimed that locals with border passes are being denied permission to import goods from China and that barter trade between GB and China’s Xinjiang province has been suspended. They urged the restoration of barter trade under the 1985 border agreement and demanded that seized counterfeit goods at the Sost Dry Port be either auctioned or destroyed within GB.
Despite GB’s disputed constitutional status, local traders are still required to pay all import taxes and duties. Former GB Assembly member and PML-N Nagar chapter president Javed Hussain condemned the federal government’s approach, stating that other regions receive trade concessions due to their parliamentary representation — something GB lacks.
He added, “While people in GB pay all taxes, the FBR refuses to clear their consignments. Taxation without representation is a violation of international law.” He argued that a one-time amnesty for 250 cleared consignments is a reasonable demand, especially when “even high-profile terrorists have received general amnesty from the state.”
Provincial Interior Minister Shams Lone, MPA Ayub Wazir, and other officials held talks with the protesters, assuring them that their demands are legitimate and that the GB government supports their cause. However, talks failed to yield any breakthrough.
Officials clarified that the issue lies with the federal government and that GB’s chief minister has already forwarded recommendations to Islamabad.
Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Muhammad Ali Quaid told the media that the GB government has no authority to resolve the matter and said the issue will be raised in the upcoming Apex Committee meeting, which includes civil and military leadership.
