MANSEHRA: The Upper Kohistan district administration has urged the protesters to call off their agitation.

“The district administration is ready to meet your demands. You should end the blockade of Karakoram Highway, as passengers travelling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan are suffering due to the sit-in,” Suo Tehsil Assistant Commissioner Fawad Khan told elders leading the protest in the Chuchang area of Kamila.

The protesters, however, continued their blockade of KKH, from 5pm until midnight.

“We will ensure a meeting between your representatives and Wapda officials to resolve the issue of electricity supply from the Chuchang grid station. The district administration believes that all outstanding issues should be settled amicably and in accordance with the commitments made by both sides,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Maulana Umar said Wapda had failed to honour its agreements with the affected communities and that its senior officials should directly engage with them.

“If Wapda high-ups come to our protest camp and promise electricity supply to the people of our district, as committed when land was acquired for the Dasu Hydropower Project, we will end the agitation,” he said.

The government had acquired land for the Dasu project, one of the country’s major energy projects, and had promised to rehabilitate the affected communities and provide them electricity through the Chuchang grid station, which was completed earlier this year.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2026