High Asia

AWPGB opposes power plants’ privatisation in Hunza

The leadership of the Awami Workers Party Gilgit-Baltistan Hunza expresses serious concern over the decision to hand over four power plants and future electricity projects and all water resources to a private company. We believe this move poses a risk of depriving the people of Hunza of their natural water resources, employment, and lands, which could enslave them to profit-driven corporate capitalism.

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G-B: Protests against resource capture, & misuse of ATA against activists

Political leaders, representatives from trade and hotel associations, and youth organizations addressed the protesters at Ittehad Chowk in Gilgit and Aliabad in Hunza and criticised Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) authorities for what they termed as ‘anti-people decisions,’ including leasing public assets, tourist spots, and guest houses to the Green Tourism company.
Moreover, they denounced the leasing of mineral and water resources to corporate and influential entities, the increase in university fees, and the exploitation of local traders at the Sost border.

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Contested Commons under Threat

The wider Himalayan Arc, consisting of mountain ranges that incorporate major mountain systems such as the Tien Shan, Pamir, Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Himalaya, and Kun Lun Shan Mountains, is ecologically a very diverse mountainous region with peaks and plateaux. Steep mountain slopes and deeply incised valleys, glaciated areas above the snow lines, deserts and steppes, forests, rangelands, and wetlands compose a region that offers limited space for mountain communities to settle in compact oases and vast areas for extensive forms of pastoral practices herding predominantly for 16 million yaks, and much higher numbers of sheep and goats. About 60% of the Hindukush-Himalayan surface is composed of rangelands and pastures.

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KKH: a wonder or woe for travellers?

The Karakoram Highway (KKH), often referred to as the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’, stands as a testament to human ingenuity and an engineering marvel connecting Pakistan and China. The 1,300-km highway meanders through some of the world’s most stunning landscapes and cultures and mountain ranges, including the Karakoram, Himalayas, and Hindu Kush. The KKH offers travelers a unique and awe-inspiring journey through lush valleys, waterfalls, and picturesque villages.
However, travelers must also be prepared for the challenges it presents, including safety concerns, remote conditions, and infrastructural limitations. A trail of tragic accidents and the loss of hundreds of precious lives annually on the highway reveals a darker reality that must be addressed urgently.

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