MANSEHRA: People of Lower Kohistan district on Wednesday blocked the Karakoram Highway to protest the delay in supply of electricity to the region from a local hydropower plant.

“We will not reopen the KKH until our demand is met as the government has failed to upgrade the local 33kV grid station to 132kV to supply electricity from the Dubair-Khawar power station,” Maulana Kareemdad, an elder, told protesters.

People from different walks of life blocked the KKH near Pattan, the district headquarters, suspending traffic.

Raising slogans, they warned that if the government failed to meet their demand, they would keep the highway closed indefinitely.

Passengers remained stranded on the highway under scorching heat throughout the day.

“The government had signed a 13-point agreement with the people of Kohistan in 2015, committing to upgrade the grid station to provide electricity from the power unit, but we are still facing prolonged loadshedding and low-voltage issues,” Mr Kareemdad said.

Maulana Israr, a religious leader, alleged that the government had divided Kohistan into three districts – Upper Kohistan, Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas – to weaken the unity and collective strength of people.

“We will divert the water supply from a local stream feeding the power station and suspend generation activity until our rights are acknowledged and accepted,” he said.

Another local elder, Maulana Ahmad Ali, said that the government had deprived the people of Lower Kohistan of development. “We provided our land for the power project, but are still deprived of electricity from it,” he said.

TAX INCREASE RESENTED: The Awami Action Committee, a body of hoteliers and chairmen of local governments in the Kaghan Valley, on Wednesday warned of launching street agitation if the Kaghan Development Authority (KDA) did not revoke a notification to increase the annual cleanliness and restaurant space charges.

“The tourism industry in the valley, which operates for only four to five months during the peak summer season, is already struggling due to natural calamities. Instead of providing relief to the business community and residents, the KDA has increased taxes, which is unacceptable,” Raja Khalid Nawaz, the chairman of Kaghan Village Council, told reporters after the body members met local MPA Munir Hussain Lughmani, who promised to take up the issue with the chief minister.

“Previously, the KDA used to charge Rs1,200 per room annually as cleanliness charges, which has now been increased to Rs4,500 in Shogran and Rs2,700 in Naran and the rest of the valley.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2026