Traders have blocked the CPEC Road in a protest demanding that authorities comply with a recent Gilgit-Baltistan High Court ruling. The ongoing demonstration, led by traders from the Pakistan-administered Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) region involved in cross-border trade through the Sost Dry Port, reflects discontent over heavy taxation and restrictions on trade activities.
Traders have blocked the CPEC Road and announced that future protests will also take place on this route. Their sole demand is for the authorities to comply with the directive issued by the Gilgit-Baltistan High Court.
Traders are being barred from conducting cross-border trade and accessing resources from their lands, despite Sost Port being free of smuggling activities. The authorities are not honoring a court order that exempted them from certain taxes. “Sost Port is the only border in the country without smuggling, yet we are being denied the court’s directive that spared us from all taxes,” said a leader. “Our people have long struggled with these issues, and it is unjust to impose these burdens.”
The border trade between Pakistan and China has been halted due to the protests, which call for an end to tax collection in line with the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court’s ruling. Traders say that the current situation unfairly impedes their trade and employment opportunities.