Hundreds march in Nagar demanding release of 14 local leaders

NAGAR: Hundreds of residents from the Nagar district in Gilgit-Baltistan, including men, women, and children, took to the streets on Thursday to demand the release of 14 Awami Action Committee (ACC), who have been imprisoned for the past two months.

The leaders were reportedly arrested by authorities in June under anti-terrorism laws, with charges alleging they “condemned the state”.

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Among those detained are AAC Chairman Ihsan Advocate, Finance Secretary Masoodur Rehman, Senior Vice President Mehboob Wali, and AAC Youth-Wing Chairman Asghar Shah, along with several other activists.

The march began in Budalas Nagar and culminated in a sit-in at the district headquarters in Harispo Nagar, effectively blocking the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) route and stranding many travellers.

Protestors carried banners and chanted slogans against what they describe as the government’s persecution of political activists.

The demonstrators expressed their support for the leaders, demanding justice and their immediately release. They displayed images of the detained leaders and vowed to continue their protests until their demands were met.

Speakers at the event condemned the targeting of those advocating for their rights, stating that the application of the anti-terrorism act against political workers was unacceptable.

“The people of Gilgit-Baltistan will not remain silent until our leaders are freed”, one protested declared. They described the detentions as the “worst form of state oppression” against those defending regional rights, land and identity.

Participants warned that if the detainees were not released promptly, residents of Nagar would join forces with families from other districts to march towards Gilgit, maintaining their sit-in until their demands were fulfilled.

The sit-in concluded after successful negotiations between protest leaders and government officials, including Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Muhammad Ali Qaid, GB Assembly member Ayub Waziri, and Nagar Deputy Commissioner Asghar Khan.

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Relatives of Mumtaz Nagri and local elders represented the protesters.

Following the discussions, protesters cleared the Karakoram Highway but cautioned that they would resume protests if the government’s commitments were not honoured.