GILGIT: As the Chilas protest sit-in entered its 11th day, the federal committee formed by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif agreed on Wednesday to accept the demands of those affected by the construction of Diamer-Bhasha Dam to address their grievances.

According to a press release, the committee held a meeting in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Amir Muqam, who also leads the committee, to discuss the demands.

Federal Minister for Water Resources Musaddiq Malik, GB Chief Minister Haji Gulbar Khan, Wapda Chairman retired Lt Gen Sajjad Ghani, Kashmir Affairs Secretary Zafar Hassan, GB Chief Secretary Abrar Ahmed Mirza and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Muqam assured that the legitimate demands of the protesters would be met and that the federal committee would work towards finding a permanent solution to the issue.

The meeting focused on addressing the long-standing grievances of those affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam, including land compensation, water supply, sanitation, and the household resettlement package.

The GB chief minister informed the meeting that his government has formed a committee to resolve technical issues. It was agreed that senior officials from Wapda and the GB committee would work together to resolve issues related to land acquisition and resettlement for the dam-affected people.

The federal committee decided to continue efforts to resolve the matter amicably. Sources said the committee members eventually agreed to accept the protesters’ demands.

As per the protesters’ demands, the committee members will visit Chilas, meet a representative body of the protesters and announce a strategy to address their concerns.

According to the sources, the 31-point charter of demands could not be resolved at once, as some points require approval from relevant departments. However, some demands, including development schemes and jobs, fall within the authority of the committee members and will be announced in Chilas.

For the remaining points, representatives of the protesters and the federal committee will establish a timeline to address them through mutual understanding and consensus.

Despite the rain, protesters continued their sit-in in Chilas for the 11th consecutive day on Wednesday. The head of the protest movement, Hazratullah, said negotiations with the federal committee members were ongoing. He congratulated the protesters on their struggle, which had finally yielded results.

He announced that the federal committee members would arrive in Chilas once the weather improves and flights resume from Islamabad. He claimed that the committee members would announce the acceptance of the protesters’ demands.

Hazratullah said that until the federal committee’s arrival, the sit-in would continue.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2025