MANSEHRA: A committee of ulema and elders on Saturday announced it would continue the blockade of the Karakoram Highway until the residents of Lower Kohistan are provided electricity from the Dubair-Khawar hydropower station.

“We will also continue suspension of electricity supply from the power station to the national grid,” Maulana Kareemdad, a leading figure of the Islahi Committee of Lower Kohistan, told reporters. However, he said to ease the suffering of passengers travelling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, the daily blockade of the KKH would now be observed from 2pm to 8pm,” he said.

Flanked by other members of the committee, he said that the body had held a marathon session to discuss the ongoing agitation to compel the federal government and Wapda to energise the upgraded 132kV grid station and supply electricity from the Dubair-Khawar hydropower unit to the people of Lower Kohistan and Kolai-Palas districts.

“There will be no let-up in our agitation, but it has now been rescheduled after considering the difficulties faced by motorists due to the blockade of KKH. People should avoid travelling on the artery during the protest hours,” Kareemdad said.

DPO says grid station’s upgradation nears completion

He also warned that if the government or the district administration attempted to restore electricity generation from the powerhouse without addressing their demands, the protesters would react strongly.

Meanwhile, acting on the committee’s decision, protesters again blocked the KKH after 2pm, inconveniencing passengers, suspending traffic between KP and GB for the fourth consecutive day.

Meanwhile, Lower Kohistan District Police Officer Zafar Ahmad Khan visited the Pattan grid station and reviewed work progress on it.

He said the work on the grid station’s upgradation was nearing completion, and hoped that the people would now lift the blockade of the KKH.

PROTEST THREATENED: All Primary Teachers Association (APTA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, has announced that it would launch a street agitation if the government fails to honour its commitment regarding the upgradation and promotion of teachers in the province.

“Promotion and upgradation are the basic rights of teachers, which have already been accepted by the government during recent talks, but it is delaying the issuance of a notification to this effect,” Sher Afzal Tanoli, the association’s Oghi tehsil president, told reporters on Saturday.

“The government accepts our demands, but fails to implement them,” Tanoli regretted. He also demanded that the government finalise a service structure for teachers.

Published in Dawn, June 7th, 2026