Overview

• Thousands of residents and trade groups have blocked the China-Pakistan Karakoram Highway since May 30, halting all vehicular traffic and leaving passengers and tourists stranded.
• Protesters are demanding a one-time amnesty to release 257 consignments stuck at Sost Dry Port since December 2024 after customs clearance was suspended six months ago.
• Scholars, traders and civil society members from Gilgit, Hunza and Nagar joined the sit-in, accusing federal customs policies of being “anti-poor” and triggering widespread unemployment.
• A local PML(N) leader acknowledged Islamabad’s failure to engage on the blockade while Gilgit-Baltistan officials say they lack the authority to meet the protesters’ demands.
• The protest underscores the region’s heavy dependence on China-Pakistan trade and long-standing grievances over economic marginalization and lack of parliamentary representation.