Pakistan’s crucial trade route with China remained blocked for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, as thousands of protesters in Hunza, located in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan, continued their sit-in against prolonged power outages, VOA News reported.
The protest organizers have vowed to maintain their demonstration until their demands are addressed. Rally leaders highlighted the region’s severe electricity shortage, where residents face up to 23-hour power outages during the harsh winter season.
Both men and women actively participated in the protest despite freezing temperatures, with daytime averages at -4°C and nighttime lows of -10°C. Speaking to VOA News, Rahim Aman, a Hunza resident, noted a significant increase in the number of protesters. “Female activists were seen making use of vehicles and loudspeakers to encourage people to join the rally,” he said, adding that representatives from local political parties, traders, and hotel associations were also present.
Efforts by local authorities to negotiate with the protesters have failed so far, leaving the Karakoram Highway, a vital trade link between Pakistan and China, blocked. Hunza is located along the roadway traversing the Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan region, which borders China’s western Xinjiang province.
Traders reported that numerous containers carrying commercial goods are stuck on both sides of the highway due to the blockade. This protest comes a little over a month after Pakistan and China announced that the Khunjerab Pass would remain operational year-round to strengthen trade connectivity between the two countries, VOA News stated.
The economically struggling Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan region heavily relies on hydropower, which is rendered ineffective in winter due to freezing rivers and lakes. Residents and businesses, including hotels, resort to expensive thermal generators to meet power demands. This has further strained the local environment, with activists and experts warning of increased atmospheric damage caused by the excessive use of generators in Hunza and surrounding areas.
The Khunjerab Pass, a critical component of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), underscores the importance of this region for bilateral trade. Since the inception of CPEC a decade ago, China has invested over USD 25 billion in Pakistan and aims to use Gwadar as a strategic gateway to international markets.