Tensions flared across Gilgit-Baltistan  as widespread protests broke out following the arrest of five key leaders of the Gilgit-Baltistan Awami Action Committee (ACC), including its chairman, Ehsan Ali Advocate.

The timing of the arrests, just days before a major Grand Jirga scheduled for May 26, sparked anger among supporters who saw it as a direct attempt to silence voices fighting for regional rights.

According to Dawn, demonstrations were held in Gilgit, Skardu, and Aliabad in Hunza, where protestors gathered in large numbers, chanting slogans and waving banners demanding justice. Many blocked the Karakoram Highway, a lifeline for the region, warning that they wouldn’t back down until their leaders were freed.

The Grand Jirga had been expected to address long-standing concerns over the ownership and control of natural resources in the region, a deeply emotional issue for the people of GB.

The arrested leaders–Ehsan Ali Advocate, Engineer Mahboob Wali, Masoodul Rehman, Asghar Shah, and Waheed Hassan–were reportedly detained from different locations in Gilgit on Wednesday evening. As per Dawn, they were presented before an anti-terrorism court the next day, which granted police a 14-day physical remand. They are currently being held at Airport Police Station.

Dawn reported that the arrests were made under anti-terrorism laws, citing alleged hate speech and anti-state activities during recent Pakistan-India border tensions. A total of 16 ACC leaders are reportedly named in the FIR and had been arrested. The ACC has denounced the arrests, calling them a political stunt to derail the jirga and suppress growing demands for local autonomy. Civil society members and rights activists are now voicing fears of a broader clampdown on peaceful political expression in the region. (ANI)