(Web Desk) – Traders on the call of Pak-China Trades Action Committee, a representative body of the traders in Gilgit-Baltistan, held a protest against income and sales taxes collected at the Sost Dry Port.
The protest led to the detention of several traders on Monday. They staged the protest near the Pakistan-China border, demanding the rollback of income and sales taxes collected at the Sost Dry Port.
The action followed a call by the Pak-China Trades Action Committee, which also announced the closure of the dry port, according to media reports.
In response, demonstrators blocked the Karakoram Highway at multiple points across Hunza and Nagar districts, leaving a significant number of tourists and travelers stranded in both regions.
Hunza Deputy Commissioner (DC) Huzaifa Anwar confirmed to the media that traders had staged sit-ins at two locations in Hunza. “The Murtazaabad protest has concluded, but the sit-in in Sost, near the Pak-China border, is still ongoing,” he said, adding that negotiations with protesters were underway and authorities hoped to resolve the standoff within a few hours.
The DC clarified that three traders were taken into custody at the Sost Dry Port after the protest announcement. One of them has been released, while the other two remain in what he described as “protective custody.” He emphasized that no formal arrests were made and no cases registered.
“The immediate focus is to reopen the Karakoram Highway, especially since many tourists are stuck and facing difficulties,” DC Anwar added.
According to announcements from local traders, the Silk Route Dry Port was to be closed and sit-ins held along the highway on Monday. However, they claim that a police operation took place overnight, during which homes of several prominent traders — including Ali Nazar, Abbas Mir, and Farman Tajik — were raided and the individuals arrested.
Protesters have now set up tents along the highway in Nagar’s Rakaposhi area and in Murtazaabad, Hunza, resulting in hundreds of Pakistani and foreign travelers being stranded.
Addressing the protest in Nagar, former president of the Gilgit-Baltistan Chamber of Commerce, Javed Hussain, blamed the local administration for turning a peaceful demonstration into a confrontation by detaining traders.