MANSEHRA: The Dasu hydropower project workers on Friday took to the streets for the second consecutive day and blocked the Karakoram Highway demanding the release of their wages in line with the labour laws, suspending traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan for hours.

“The company executing this mega energy project is delaying our wages, which is affecting our children’s education and even our ability to afford two meals a day,” Mohammad Behroom, one of the protesters, said.

The participants marched along the Karakoram Highway and later assembled in the Chuchang area of Dasu, Upper Kohistan.

They raised slogans in support of their demands and warned that if their grievances were not addressed, they would intensify their protest and boycott work on the project.

Say payments delayed for months, leaving them unable to meet expenses

“The government recently issued a notification fixing the monthly wage for 26 working days at Rs40,000, but we are still not receiving this benefit,” another protester, Mohammad Javed said.

He added that previously wages were paid by the 8th of each month, but now payments were being delayed for months, leaving families unable to meet their basic expenses.

“We have repeatedly raised the issue with the company’s management, and also held talks with them to settle outstanding issues but to no avail. Even shopkeepers have stopped giving us essential goods on credit,” he said.

The labourers demanded that the company comply with national labour laws and implement the wage notification issued by the labour department.

“The deputy commissioner should compel the company to fix wages and ensure all benefits guaranteed under the labour policy,” one of the protest leaders said.

ANTI-ENCROACHMENT DRIVE: The Baffa-Pakhal administration is all set to launch an anti-encroachment drive to demolish buildings and structures built on the right of way along the Karakoram Highway and other arteries across the tehsil.

“The administration is aware of the problems being faced by passengers, motorists and locals owing to encroachments in our tehsil. We have finalised an anti-encroachment drive and served notices on encroachers to remove them voluntarily or face punitive action,” assistant commissioner Nayab Abbasi told reporters on Friday.

She said the tehsil administration was committed to addressing civic issues, adding that the drive would soon be launched to clear the roads.

Ms Abbasi said that after a comprehensive survey, a list of encroachers along the Karakoram Highway from Ghandian to Shinkiari and other arteries was finalised, and notices were served accordingly.

The AC added that the anti-encroachment drive would be impartial and action would be taken against all those who had illegally occupied public land.

She said the building of the community centre, which was in a highly dilapidated condition, would also be demolished to make way for a new structure.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2025