GILGIT: Efforts were underway by the federal and Gilgit-Baltistan governments to convince the Diamer dam-affected people to end their sit-in at Chilas as the protest entered ninth consecutive day.

The affected people have announced to continue their protest till the fulfillment of their 31 demands.

Organisers of the protest movement for the rights of Diamer-Bhasha Dam affected people warned of the consequences if the implementation of their demands was further delayed.

Thousands of people chanting slogans against Wapda and in support of their demands are participating in the protest.

On Sunday, federal minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam, who is also the chairman of a committee constituted by the prime minister, had visited Chilas and held talks with representatives of the protesters and tried to convince them to end the protest. He had suggested engaging the protesters’ representatives in talks with the federal committee to sort out the issues. However, the protesters refused and continued the sit-in.

After failure of the federal minister, GB Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, Agriculture Minister Engineer Mohammad Anwar, Rehmat Khaliq and Shah Baig, who also support the demands, held negotiations with the protesters to convince them to end the sit-in. However, their efforts also failed in the three rounds of talks held in Chilas.

Speaking to the media, Maulana Hazratullah, the head of the protest movement committee, said people of the region staged the sit-in despite the cold weather for the last nine days.

“On demand of the protesters, a federal committee was constituted to settle the issues; however, the committee’s head (Amir Muqam) says he has no powers to settle our issues and other members of the committee were not presented there, so the protesters boycotted the talks.”

He said the GB chief minister also suggested initiating talks with the cabinet and sought time to settle the issues.

However, the protesters said the sit-in would be called off after assurance and an agreement to settle all their 31 demands.

He said Wapda and other relevant authorities were not serious to settle the issues.

Maulana Hazratullah said the protest will be intensified and plan B will be announced soon.

He called people from other areas to join them to continue the protest movement.

Meanwhile, people from other areas of the region continued to join the protest sit-in to show solidarity with the protesters.

The 31 points charter of demands included 80 per cent royalty of Diamer Dam and 30pc royalty of Dassu Dam for Gilgit-Baltistan; free electricity to Diamer district and on discounted rate to the people of GB from Diamer Dam, compensation for 18,000 acres acquired for the dam, financial package for the remaining 3,000 families of affected by the dam, commercial and residential plots, education, health, sewerage projects, appointments of local people on the dam project from grade 1 to grade 16 and regularisation of contingent and daily wage employees.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2025