Women and children in Skardu, Chilas, and Gilgit blocked the roads and blamed the government and security agencies for their failure to act against terrorists.
Residents launched a protest against the local administration in the Skardu district of Gilgit Baltistan over the arrest of Shabbir Mayyar, a prominent activist who was demanding the opening of Skardu-Kargil Road.
Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) has been dealing with a tense situation for the past week now over clerics court controversy, reported Dawn.
"American citizens should exercise heightened caution in Gilgit-Baltistan due to recent protests in Skardu and Diamer and the potential for additional demonstrations, road closures, and associated disruptions to local mobile and internet networks in the region," the US advisory read.
Hundreds of thousands of locals gathered in the Skardu area in Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir (PoK) protesting against the Pakistani government demanding an immediate release of their leader and top Shia cleric Agha Baqir Al-Hussaini.
Sheikh Baqir Al-Hussaini, a prominent Islamic expert living in Skardu, is reported to have sparked protests with his sacrilegious comments. He has been charged with making disparaging statements about religious and historical figures, as reported by Pamir Times.
The local residents took out their frustration against the Pakistan Govt and local administration for not providing basic amenities to the people of Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Awami Action Committee (AAC) held protest demonstrations in Skardu town of Gilgit-Baltistan as power outages have become a regular affair in the region.
People have been raising demands to connect or merge the Shitong Nala with the Sidpara Dam. The movement is led by Allama Syed Baqar Al-Huseini and people are willing to give him full support as life has become impossible for people in Skardu due to no water.
The press conference was addressed by President JUAIK Ladakh, Sheikh Nazir Mehdi Mohammadi who said that the persecution of Shia Muslims of Pakistan is not a new thing whether its Quetta or any other place, the killers of Shias are known and roaming free.
The largest airline of Pakistan - Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has raised flight fares from Islamabad to Skardu is Rs 39,700 and for Gilgit Rs 29,200.