Blockades at Khunjerab Pass Leave Hundreds Stranded Amid Protests
Hundreds of travellers, including Chinese citizens, are stuck at the Pakistan-China border as protests over tax impositions by residents of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan halt movement. The demonstrators have paralyzed trade routes, stalling over 200 consignments and creating tensions between protesters and authorities.
- Country:
- PoGB
At the Pakistan-China border's Khunjerab Pass, hundreds of Chinese citizens, foreign tourists, and students find themselves stranded, as demonstrators have blocked both entry and exit points for a second day, reported Dawn. The protests, organized by residents of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB), have halted all movement along the critical Karakoram Highway (KKH).
Frustrated travellers have confronted local police to demand action, citing the failure to secure a route to China. Meanwhile, residents and traders of PoGB continue their 51-day sit-in, protesting federal government-imposed taxes, which they declare illegal due to their lack of representation in Pakistan's parliament, according to Dawn.
The sit-in organizers accuse local administration of planning a crackdown rather than addressing their grievances. Protest leader Gulsher Khan blames federal authorities for neglect, while over 200 Chinese imports at Sost Dry Port remain immobile, causing financial turmoil for PoGB traders, Dawn reports.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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