Pakistan’s critical trade route with China, the Karakoram Highway, has remained blocked for five consecutive days as massive protests erupt in Hunza, Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB). Thousands of residents have taken to the streets, braving sub-zero temperatures, to demand an end to prolonged power outages that have left the region in darkness for up to 23 hours a day during the harsh winter.

The protest, which has drawn significant participation from women, political representatives, and local business associations, reflects the growing resentment against Islamabad’s neglect of the region. The demonstrators have vowed to continue their sit-in until their demands are addressed, paralyzing trade along the vital route connecting Pakistan and China.

The crisis highlights the exploitative policies of the Pakistan Army and establishment in PoGB, a region treated as a colony rather than an integral part of the country. Despite being home to critical trade routes and serving as a gateway for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), the residents of PoGB continue to endure abject neglect.

The Pakistan Army, which exercises de facto control over the region, has prioritized its own profits from CPEC while ignoring the basic needs of the local population. The promises of development made under CPEC have turned out to be hollow, as infrastructure projects benefit Chinese and Punjabi Pak Army elites while locals are left with crumbling power systems, environmental degradation, and an eroding quality of life.

Hunza Uprising

Protesters have accused the occupying authorities of failing to provide adequate electricity, even as temperatures plunge to -10°C at night. The reliance on hydropower, which becomes almost non-functional during winter when rivers freeze, has exacerbated the crisis. Residents are forced to rely on expensive thermal generators, further straining household incomes in an already impoverished region.

The sit-in has also brought attention to the environmental damage caused by the increased use of generators, particularly by hotels and commercial entities, which adds to the worsening air quality in the pristine mountainous region.

Local authorities have made feeble attempts to negotiate with the protesters, but they have been unable to provide concrete solutions or restore traffic along the Karakoram Highway. Containers carrying goods between Pakistan and China remain stuck, disrupting trade and exposing the fragility of the so-called “all-weather friendship” between the two countries.

The protests in Hunza erupted barely a month after Pakistan and China announced plans to keep the Khunjerab Pass operational year-round to boost trade connectivity. The announcement, however, has done little to address the grievances of the people in PoGB, who see CPEC as a project designed to exploit their resources while offering no tangible benefits to the local population.

The region’s strategic importance to Pakistan is undeniable, yet its people are treated as second-class citizens. The Pakistan Army, notorious for its colonial mindset, has used PoGB as a revenue-generating outpost, while its residents are left to suffer power shortages, poverty, and environmental degradation.

Pakistan’s descent into radicalism has reached a horrifying new low, as a Christian mother was killed and her daughter critically injured in a brutal attack in Gujranwala on January 6, 2025.

The rise of such heinous crimes stems directly from a Pak Army apparatus that has systematically allowed radical Islamists to wreak havoc on vulnerable communities. Paki establishment has created a nation where the rights of minorities are trampled upon with alarming regularity. By empowering hardline groups and allowing them free rein, the Army has nurtured a culture of extremism that targets Christians, Hindus, Ahmadis, and other minorities with brutal precision.

The systemic failures of law enforcement and the judiciary further amplify the plight of minorities. Police rarely act to protect victims, while legal loopholes and vague religious laws, such as the infamous blasphemy law, are weaponized against them. These tools of oppression serve not only to silence dissent but also to provide cover for the perpetrators of violence. In the case of minority girls, the judicial system often works to retain victims against their will, legitimizing forced conversions and marriages under the pretext of religious freedom.

This legal framework is no accident—it is the product of an establishment that has long relied on radical Islamists as a tool of power. These alliances have turned Pakistan into a hotbed of extremism, destabilizing not just its internal fabric but the entire region. The unchecked violence against minorities is not an aberration but the inevitable outcome of decades of Army-sponsored radicalization.

In Kurram district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the imposition of Section 144 and curfew in specific locations is being seen as the latest in a series of desperate attempts by the Paki establishment to impose control over a region it has long failed to govern effectively. The measures, announced following a security meeting, have sparked widespread criticism, particularly regarding the decision to hold Pashtun elders responsible for the recent unrest— a diversion to obscure the ineffectiveness of the Punjabi-Pak Army in the region.

The Kurram district, plagued by sectarian violence and deep mistrust between communities, recently saw a breakthrough in peace efforts, not by the Army, but through the age-old Pashtun tradition of the jirga. When the Punjabi Pakistan Army repeatedly failed to establish order after clashes erupted, it was the Pashtun tribal elders who took the initiative. Their peace accord brought a semblance of stability to the area, showcasing the resilience and leadership of the local Pashtun community in contrast to the Army’s incompetence.

However, the situation took a darker turn after the January 4 attack on the Deputy Commissioner of Kurram. Instead of addressing its own failure to maintain security, the Pak Army has now shifted the blame onto the very elders who brokered peace. The Counter-Terrorism Department has named five individuals in connection with the attack and announced a series of draconian steps. These include threatening the elders with legal action, halting compensation in the area, and even forcibly relocating populations if cooperation is not forthcoming—moves that have been condemned as heavy-handed and unjust.

The narrative being pushed by the Paki establishment is an attempt to portray the local Pashtun leadership as complicit in the unrest, deflecting attention from the Army’s failure to prevent such incidents. This tactic is aimed at undermining the credibility of the Pashtun jirga system, a cornerstone of tribal governance that has succeeded where the Army and establishment’s apparatus have failed.

The measures outlined include a series of punitive actions:

• Elders who signed the peace accord are being held responsible for its implementation and threatened with legal consequences if they fail to deliver.
• Anti-terrorism cases are being registered against individuals allegedly involved in the January 4 attack, with threats of arrests and inclusion in Schedule-IV.
• Compensation and assistance in the affected areas have been suspended until the perpetrators are handed over.
• The imposition of curfews, confiscation of weapons, and even forced displacement of populations have been proposed as part of a “clearance operation.”

These steps reflect the Punjabi Pak Army’s heavy reliance on coercion. The deployment of additional police and paramilitary forces to secure key roads, such as the Thall-Parachinar Road, further underscores the Pak Army’s inability to maintain peace without resorting to militarization.

The growing discontent among the Pashtun population adds to the already volatile situation in Kurram and the broader Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region. For years, the Pashtun people have borne the brunt of Pakistan’s militarized approach to governance, with the Army prioritizing its own narrative of control over the well-being of local communities.

Tensions escalated in Hunza, Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), as frustrated residents took to the streets in Gulmit on Thursday, decrying prolonged power outages and poor governance. Protesters blocked the strategic Karakoram Highway (KKH), a vital trade route linking Pakistan to China, to demand immediate action from authorities over the power crisis that has left the district in darkness for days.

The demonstration, which saw people from various backgrounds joining hands, highlighted widespread anger against the occupying administration. Protesters accused officials of deliberately depriving Hunza of its rightful share of electricity, exacerbating hardships for homes, businesses, and essential services. Speaking at the protest, Irfan Azad, President of the Balawaristan National Front for District Gilgit, urged unity between the people of POGB and POJK, calling for collective advocacy to amplify their voices against systemic neglect.

“This is not the first time we’ve protested against load shedding. Every time we take to the streets, we get temporary relief, but the problem always resurfaces,” said a protester. “It’s shameful that in the 21st century, we still fight for basic rights like electricity while facing exorbitant bills for a service we hardly receive.”

Despite Hunza’s significance as a major tourist destination and its strategic location, locals allege it has been routinely ignored in power distribution. The region’s infrastructure remains woefully inadequate to meet rising electricity demand, with little integration into the national grid. Protesters argue that this neglect reflects a broader pattern of marginalization by both federal and regional authorities.

The blockage of the Karakoram Highway disrupted traffic and trade, with vehicles stranded as demonstrators refused to clear the road. Some vehicles were permitted to pass through, but the disruption underscored the urgency of the crisis.

Dr. Mahrang Baloch, addressing the Pashtun National Jirga in Germany, delivered a scathing critique of Pakistan’s systematic oppression of Pashtuns and Balochs. Calling it an ongoing genocide, she called out the Paki establishment against waging a campaign of brutal suppression against ethnic communities, targeting their identity, culture, and existence.

While highlighting the dire state of affairs, Dr. Baloch expressed hope in the rise of grassroots movements like the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and the Baloch Unity Council. She described these organizations as critical forces in resisting Pakistan’s oppressive tactics, ensuring the survival and dignity of marginalized communities. “These movements are beacons of hope that will save their people from the clutches of this fascist Army,” she said.

Dr. Baloch also drew attention to the unjust detention of Pashtun leader Ali Wazir, a former member of Pakistan’s National Assembly, who has been repeatedly targeted for his vocal criticism of the Pak military’s heavy-handed policies in Pashtun and Baloch territories. “Ali Wazir is not just a role model for Pashtuns; he is an inspiration for all oppressed communities,” she remarked, urging international attention to her plight and the broader systemic injustices in Pakistan.

Her remarks reflect growing unity among Pashtuns and Balochs, who have long faced enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and cultural erasure at the hands of the Paki establishment. The Pashtun National Jirga itself stands as a testament to this emerging solidarity, amplifying voices that challenge the Pak Army narrative and demand justice for decades of oppression.