GILGIT: Gilgit-Baltistan was paralysed on Wednesday after several protests gripped various parts of the region.

The sit-in staged by Gilgit-Baltistan police personnel outside the Chief Minister’s House entered its third day on Wednesday. Police have been protesting to press the authorities to increase their allowance as per budget 2025-26.

Police from other districts, including those deployed for the security of Chinese nationals in Chilas, also joined the sit-in in Gilgit.

The daily allowance of GB police had been increased from Rs440 to Rs880 in the budget, but so far no notification has been issued.

The protesting police said they have been demanding their rights for months, adding that two weeks ago, a protest outside the Chief Minister’s Secretariat was called off after the government assured them that their issue would be resolved in 14 days.

Instead, Gilgit-Baltistan police launched departmental proceedings on Monday against personnel accused of “misconduct”.

According to an official order, 63 officials are being dismissed from service in the initial phase.

The decisions were reportedly taken during a meeting of the disciplinary committee.

Meanwhile, lawyers’ bodies in Gilgit-Baltistan also staged a protest and boycotted court proceedings in Gilgit, Skardu, Ghizer and other districts.

The lawyers have been protesting for their demands for the last 10 months.

According to a statement, a joint meeting of Gilgit-Baltistan Bar Council, Supreme Court Bar Association GB, High Court Bar Association GB and District Bar Association Gilgit was held.

The meeting unanimously decided that lawyers of Gilgit-Baltistan would observe strike and will not appear before any court throughout the region until their demands were met. One of the demands of the lawyers was appointment of judges on vacant positions in the GB Supreme Appellate Court.

According to a statement, the meeting expressed reservations over government’s failure to implement lawyers’ demands despite repeated strikes and protests. The lawyers termed non-fulfilment of demands “a conspiracy against GB people”.

Another major demand of the lawyers was the extension of the Lawyers Protection Act to Gilgit-Baltistan by the federal government - a move they argued was essential for ensuring their safety and professional rights.

The lawyers called for advertisement of vacant civil judge positions and demanded that judicial magistrate posts be separated from civil judge posts, as practised in other parts of the country, with appointments made from the legal fraternity on merit.

According to lawyers, the GB Supreme Appellate Court has been operating with only one judge for the last seven years. According to rules, a single judge cannot hear all cases as a result of which thousands of important cases remain pending.

Meanwhile, protest demonstrations for electricity shortage were held at Sikandarabad, Nagar, with the protesters blocking the Diamer section of KKH.

Similar protests were also held in Nagar Khas and other areas.

Published in Dawn, August 14th, 2025