Protesters in Diamer on Tuesday called off their sit-in and reopened the Karakoram Highway (KKH) after successful negotiations with the district administration, restoring traffic flow after a two-day blockade.
Police said stranded vehicles and passengers, including tourists and patients, began moving toward their destinations from both sides of the highway, which had remained closed since Sunday due to protests in the Thore area and other parts of the district.
The sit-in was organised by people affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, who had blocked the highway to press for implementation of a 2025 agreement regarding compensation and development measures. Protest leader Maulana Hazratullah said a timeline had now been agreed with authorities to enforce the accord, expressing hope that commitments would be fulfilled.
A parallel protest had also disrupted traffic near Masjid Aqsa in Chilas, the district headquarters, further compounding travel disruptions across the region.
Officials from the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) said the authority remained committed to implementing the 2025 agreement and advancing both the dam’s construction and the socio-economic uplift of local communities. They added that steps were underway to expand education, health, and infrastructure initiatives, while prioritising employment opportunities for local residents.
Wapda emphasised that large-scale infrastructure projects require time for approvals and execution, warning that disruptions such as road blockades could delay progress and increase financial costs. The authority noted that key decisions had already been taken through the Supreme Court’s implementation committee and approved at the federal level.
Under the agreement, measures including scholarships, educational institutions, and development schemes in water supply and sanitation have been initiated. However, protesters have maintained a broad set of demands, including increased royalty shares from the dam projects, free or subsidised electricity, land compensation, employment guarantees, and financial support for affected families.
The dispute has been ongoing, with earlier protests prompting the formation of a federal committee by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to address grievances.
Meanwhile, Ghulam Abbas said the regional government was actively facilitating dialogue and remained committed to resolving the issue, urging citizens to avoid blocking highways due to the broader impact on public life, tourism, and the regional economy.
The reopening of the KKH marks a temporary easing of tensions, though the situation remains dependent on the implementation of the agreed commitments.