Panel set up to address concerns of GB dam affectees
A four-member committee has been formed by the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to address the grievances of those affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam.
However protesters in Gilgit-Balitistan still continue with their sit-in - even after 6 days and wait for the nominated panel to begin negotiations with them.
5 Min Read
February 21, 2025
By Sher Nadir
GILGIT
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has formed a four-member committee to address the grievances of those affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project. The decision came on the heels of an ongoing sit-in by the affected people in Chilas, the district headquarters of Diamer, which has been continuing since February 16. The protest in Chilas intensified when demonstrators halted construction work on the peripheral road of the Diamer Bhasha Dam on February 19 .
According to a notification issued on February 20, the Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, Amir Muqam, will serve as the committee’s chairman, while the Minister for Water Resources will be the vice-chairman. Other members include the Chief Minister of Gilgit-Baltistan, the Secretary of the Gilgit-Baltistan Division, the Chairman of WAPDA, and the Chief Secretary of Gilgit-Baltistan. The committee has been directed to review the demands of the dam-affected individuals.
PM notification for committee to negotiate with dam protesters in Chilas, Diamer
Sit-in going strong
Protesters under the banner of “Haqooq Do Dam Banao” had given a two-day ultimatum – which expired on February 20 – for the implementation of their 31-point list of demands.
Major demands include that the government’s power generation authority WAPDA honor its previous agreements that were signed in 2010 and that provide them compensation for the lands they (locals) gave up, a fair reassessment of land compensation rates to reflect current market values as determined by the GB government, and the inclusion of every married couple in the Household Resettlement Package, also known as ‘Chulha Package’.
Civil society organisations, political parties and traders from different parts of the region have extended their support to demonstrators, urging the government to intervene and fulfill protesters’ demands.
After the Feb 20 deadline passed, and the sit-in became even stronger, Gilgit-Baltistan’s Interior Minister Shams Lone, Forest Minister Shah Beg, and the Chief Minister’s Advisor Maulana Sarwar Shah visited Chilas to negotiate with the protesters and persuade them to end their protest.
Earlier, participants unanimously took an oath on the Holy Quran to continue the sit-in until their demands were met. The demonstrators also agreed to set aside all personal enmities and disputes until the protest was successful.
Shabbir Qureshi, the organiser of the protest sit-in and president of the Diamer Youth Movement, spoke to Voicepk that the government should provide each affected family with 10 kanals of agricultural land under the 2010 agreement.
Nasir Hussain, a leader of the Gilgit-Baltistan Awami Action Committee, stated that the people of Diamer had taken to the streets for their rights, and the committee would stand with the affected individuals until their demands were met.
Raja Shakir, a youth leader from Diamer, said that the entire Gilgit-Baltistan would face climate change due to the dam, but the rulers had paid no attention to this issue.
Assurances by government
Representatives of the Gilgit-Baltistan government expressed solidarity with the protesters and informed them that the Prime Minister had formed a ministerial committee to initiate negotiations, which was one of the protesters’ conditions for engaging with the government.
Following the formation of the committee, the organizing body of the movement decided to halt all construction work at the dam site as part of their protest. However, the protesters announced that the sit-in would continue until the newly formed federal committee engages in negotiations.
Context
The Diamer-Bhasha dam, valued at $12-14 billion, is expected to generate 4,500 megawatts of electricity and create a vast reservoir to regulate water flow to farmland vulnerable to erratic weather patterns. With a gross water storage capacity of 8.1 million acre-feet, the dam will help irrigate an additional 1.23 million acres of land.
In 2016, China and Pakistan signed a memorandum of understanding for Beijing to support the development of Pakistan’s Indus Basin dams. Pakistan estimates its hydro potential at 40,000 megawatts.
For years, Pakistan has sought to build a series of mega dams along the Indus River, but struggled to secure international funding due to opposition from India. However, China’s Belt and Road Initiative has revived these ambitions, with Pakistan being a key partner in Beijing’s plans to create a modern-day Silk Road connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa.
