Massive Protest In PoK; China-Pakistan Highway Blocked For Three Days
Last Updated:
Traders have expressed serious concerns over the prolonged delay of 257 consignments imported from China, which have reportedly been stuck at the Sost border since December 2024.
Several locals from Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan took to the streets and blocked the Karakoram Highway—the key route connecting China with Pakistan—for three days. The protest was organised by trade associations and local business groups in response to the suspension of customs clearance at the Sost Dry Port, which has brought trade between Pakistan and China to a standstill for the past six months.
The demonstration disrupted cross-border movement, leaving many travellers stranded on both sides of the route, Dawn reported.
Vehicular traffic also came to a halt due to the blockade of the Karakoram Highway in Gilgit-Baltistan.
According to Dawn, the locals staged a sit-in protest and vowed to continue until their demands are met. Members of civil society from Hunza, traders, and scholars also joined the demonstrations in large numbers.
Traders have expressed serious concerns over the prolonged delay of 257 consignments imported from China, which have reportedly been stuck at the Sost border since December 2024. The delays have caused losses amounting to billions of rupees due to product expiry, daily port charges, and other related expenses, as per Dawn.
In an effort to resolve the crisis, protesters are demanding a one-time amnesty scheme to allow the immediate release and clearance of the stranded goods.
They emphasise that the situation is not only a business issue but a broader economic crisis for the region.
The protesters also criticised existing customs policies, calling them 'anti-poor," and claimed these measures have contributed to widespread unemployment and deepened economic hardship in the area.
Additional demands include exemption from misdeclaration cases, more flexibility in document submission timelines, and the reinstatement of barter trade with China under the 1985 agreement.
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First Published:
June 02, 2025, 18:29 IST
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