Residents of Upper Kohistan intensified their protest against the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) on Monday, staging a sit-in outside the deputy commissioner’s office and enforcing a complete shutter-down and wheel-jam strike in Komila bazaar.
The demonstration, led by the Dasu Dam Affectees’ Committee, comes in response to Wapda’s alleged failure to honor commitments related to the 4,700MW Dasu Hydropower Project (DHPP). The committee had called for the sit-in a day earlier, mobilizing hundreds of traders and transporters to close businesses across Upper Kohistan.
Protesters marched through Komila and Dasu bazaars, chanting slogans against Wapda and carrying banners demanding compensation for lost properties, stove compensation, hospital construction, local employment in the project, and the establishment of educational institutions in the district.
“Wapda agreed to our 13 demands but has failed to fulfill them, leaving us with no choice but to return to the streets,” committee leader Hafeez Ur Rehman told Dawn.com. He stressed that despite multiple meetings, authorities have only offered empty promises.
The protesters are demanding an increase in development funds for Upper Kohistan, a share of DHPP revenue for local uplift, commercial electricity rates for areas near the Karakoram Highway, and immediate steps beyond mere paperwork. The sit-in, Rehman warned, would continue until Wapda took practical action.
Upper Kohistan’s Additional Deputy Commissioner Khurram Rehman Jadoon acknowledged the sit-in but noted that the demands were directed at Wapda and should be addressed by DHPP officials.
Meanwhile, a similar protest in Chilas, Gilgit Baltistan, entered its ninth day, with demonstrators demanding their rights as affectees of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam. They have put forward a 31-point charter focusing on compensation and resettlement.
On Sunday, Minister for Kashmir and GB Affairs Amir Muqam visited the Chilas protesters, assuring them of the federal government’s commitment to addressing their grievances. He conveyed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had formed a special committee to review their demands. However, despite his appeal to end the sit-in, the protest continues.
The ongoing unrest highlights growing tensions in regions affected by mega hydropower projects, as locals seek due compensation and development benefits from the World Bank-funded initiatives in Upper Kohistan and Diamer.
