The Karakoram Highway (KKH) reopened after Diamer protest leaders ended their sit-in in the Thore area on Tuesday morning following successful talks with the district administration. With the blockade lifted, traffic resumed on the Karakoram Highway after days of disruption.
The protest was led by people affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project. They said the government had failed to implement a 2025 agreement and claimed none of its clauses had been enforced to date.
Police said passengers and vehicles stranded since Sunday began moving again from both sides once the highway was cleared. The reopening brought relief to travellers who had been stuck during the road closure. Among those affected were tourists and patients, along with other passengers waiting for the route to reopen. The blockade had caused major delays on a key road link in the region.
دیامر میں تھور چیک پوسٹ کے قریب احتجاج، شاہراہ قراقرم مکمل بند، مسافر پھنس گئے۔#gilgitbaltistan #Diamer #kkh #karakoramhighway #wtv #strike #protest pic.twitter.com/JDIwJA3gcM
— WAJAHAT ALI (@wajahatgilgiti) April 5, 2026Maulana Hazratullah, the chief organiser of the protest, said the sit-in ended after long negotiations with government representatives and the district administration. He said both sides had agreed on a timeframe for implementing the 2025 agreement. He also expressed hope that the commitments made during the talks would now be carried out. That appeared to be the key breakthrough that convinced protesters to reopen the road.
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The protesters had staged sit-ins in both Chilas and Thore. They demanded action on promises linked to the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project and kept the highway closed after earlier rounds of talks failed. According to organisers, the final round of negotiations early Tuesday proved successful. As a result, the sit-in was called off, and traffic on the KKH was restored.
