ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of protesters in Pakistan’s northern Hunza Valley blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH) for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday, demonstrating against severe power outages during the region’s freezing winter.
The protest, which began on January 1, involves local residents, political parties and civil society groups who vowed to continue their sit-in until their demands for reliable electricity were met.
Demonstrators on Tuesday voiced frustration over the Gilgit-Baltistan government’s failure to ensure even a few hours of power each day, saying over 80,000 people were struggling for basic needs.
The KKH, a vital trade and strategic route linking Pakistan with China, has been obstructed at Aliabad, the district headquarters of Hunza. The area plays a critical role in bilateral trade facilitated by the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which has increased since an agreement to keep the Khunjerab Pass open year-round for economic exchanges.
“This is a nerve-breaking power outage in Hunza,” said Baba Jan, a protester, speaking at the sit-in. “We are getting power only 30-40 minutes in 24 hours.
“It is very cold here,” he added. “The temperature drops to minus 15 at night. Students don’t have Internet due to the power outage. There are issues in lighting, heating and cooking that people are facing here.”
Rehan Shah, another protester agreed, emphasizing the area’s important defense and strategic location.
“It’s the gate of CPEC and Pakistan-China connectivity,” he noted. “People here are hardly getting power for one hour and twenty minutes during the daytime. They’ve been out protesting on the streets for the last six days.”
Power cuts, known locally as load shedding, are a chronic issue in Pakistan, with many areas facing significant disruptions. The harsh winters in Gilgit-Baltistan exacerbate the problem, leaving residents without adequate heating or access to essential services.
Last week, Hamid Hussain, an engineer at the Gilgit-Baltistan Water and Power Department, acknowledged the issue but attributed it to technical limitations.
“The region heavily relies on hydropower, which often faces disruption in winter due to the freezing of rivers and lakes,” he told Arab News.
“There are 137 power stations in Gilgit-Baltistan,” he added. “The installed capacity of these power stations is 190 megawatts. However, power generation is 140 megawatts during the summer while 76 megawatts during the winter due to the low flow of water.”
Protesters have demanded thermal power generators to supplement energy needs during the winter, but Hussain said they were costly and were hard to implement due to financial constraints.
Protesters in Pakistan’s north continue blockade of key highway to China over power outages
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Protesters in Pakistan’s north continue blockade of key highway to China over power outages
- Residents of Gilgit-Baltistan started a sit-in on Jan.1, vowing to protest until they got reliable electricity
- Despite the area’s significance, some residents say they only get electricity for 30 minutes in 24 hours
Amid political standoff, Pakistan PM engages KP chief minister on security, development
- Shehbaz Sharif urges counterterrorism, development cooperation with PTI-run province
- Meeting notable amid long strain between federal government and Imran Khan’s party
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Monday in a rare high-level engagement between the federal government and a province governed by former prime minister Imran Khan’s opposition party, as Islamabad presses for closer cooperation on security and development.
The meeting is notable given Pakistan’s deeply polarized political landscape. Relations between the federal government, led by Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and the provincial KP government ruled by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, have remained severely strained since Khan’s removal from office in 2022 and his subsequent imprisonment on multiple convictions, which PTI says are politically motivated.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which borders Afghanistan, has faced a sharp rise in militant violence in recent years, with attacks by Pakistani Taliban factions straining provincial law enforcement and security institutions. Islamabad has repeatedly called for stronger provincial cooperation as it battles a nationwide resurgence of militancy.
According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, Sharif met KP CM Sohail Afridi in Islamabad, with discussions focusing on law and order, counterterrorism and coordination between federal and provincial authorities.
“The Prime Minister emphasized the need for cooperation between the federal and provincial governments for the development and prosperity of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the PMO statement said.
On security, Sharif described coordination between Islamabad and Peshawar as essential.
“The Prime Minister declared cooperation between the federal and provincial governments indispensable for maintaining law and order in the province,” the statement said, adding that “there is a need to further intensify the provincial government’s efforts to establish peace.”
Sharif also called on the provincial administration to strengthen its own institutions to counter militancy.
“The provincial government should reinforce provincial institutions to combat terrorism,” the statement quoted him as saying, while stressing that both governments would continue “joint efforts for the complete elimination of terrorism.”
The prime minister underlined that maintaining security and delivering welfare were constitutional responsibilities of the provincial government.
“The provincial government is empowered and should take measures for health and education for the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” the statement said.
Sharif said the federal government remained committed to supporting the province within its constitutional mandate.
“The federal government has always strived for the betterment of the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he said, describing the province as “an important unit of the federation.”
He added that national development required sustained coordination between Islamabad and the provinces.
“For national development and public service, close relations and effective coordination between the federation and the provinces are indispensable,” the statement said.
The prime minister assured cooperation on development projects, infrastructure, education, health and employment generation “within the federal domain,” reiterating that the government was pursuing a vision of balanced development across all provinces.
The meeting comes as Pakistan’s federal authorities seek to stabilize security conditions and revive economic confidence amid persistent political divisions, with analysts warning that continued friction between Islamabad and opposition-led provinces could complicate counterterrorism efforts and governance in vulnerable regions.
