Chilas, March 6 -- As the protest over a 31-point charter of demands reached its 18th day, those impacted by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project locked down the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) offices and a private contractor's operations at the dam site, as reported by local media outlet Hum English.

The protesters also called on contractors working on the dam site to halt their operations.

According to Hum English, Maulana Hazratullah, leader of the Huqooq Do Dam Banao Tehreek, stated that despite prior warnings, the private contractors had continued their work and even dismissed 10 to 15 local workers.

Hazratullah criticized WAPDA for what he called a deliberate deprivation of the rights of local communities. "Today, we are ...