Khyber Pakhtunkhwa [Pakistan], January 8 : The protest at the under-construction Duber Dam in Kohistan has stretched into its 45th consecutive day, with residents voicing intense frustration over what they describe as years of unkept commitments by the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA). Local leaders say the ongoing sit-in has grown into one of the most significant grassroots demonstrations the region has witnessed, as reported by The Express Tribune.
According to The Express Tribune, protesters assert that while WAPDA pressed ahead with building the hydropower project, officials had guaranteed that essential civic infrastructure, most importantly an all-weather road network, would be constructed for communities in the area. Yet, residents maintain that these assurances never materialised. They argue that for more than 15 years, Kohistan has remained deprived of even basic connectivity despite contributing land, resources and cooperation to national development schemes.
Their principal demand has crystallised into a resonant slogan: "Give us roads, take your water." Demonstrators say the protest will persist until construction on the promised roads formally begins. Community elders stated that the sense of neglect has deepened over the years, with local families feeling exploited by state institutions that continue building mega-projects while ignoring fundamental facilities for the people hosting them.
The movement has now expanded far beyond Duber. Large contingents of Kohistanis have staged solidarity rallies in Swat, Abbottabad, and recently outside the Karachi Press Club, where hundreds gathered to condemn WAPDA's failure to honour its commitments. Many participants criticised what they called a pattern of state indifference toward remote and marginalised regions, as highlighted by The Express Tribune.
Local representatives also met Federal Minister Amir Maqam, briefing him on the prolonged sit-in and the community's unmet demands. Although the minister pledged to take up the matter with the WAPDA chairman, protesters say there has been no meaningful progress, further amplifying public disappointment. Leaders insist the agitation will continue until every commitment, especially the long-promised roads, is fulfilled. They emphasise that people of Kohistan deserve fair treatment and essential infrastructure in return for allowing national projects on their land, as reported by The Express Tribune.