Commissioner Hazara orders June 12 deadline for Patan grid station activation; KKH protest called off after assurances

KOHISTAN, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 5th Jun, 2026) Commissioner Hazara Division Fayyaz Ali Shah has directed that the Patan 132 kV grid station be made fully operational by June 12, 2026, warning that no further delay will be tolerated in the project aimed at improving electricity supply in Lower Kohistan.

He issued these directives while chairing a high-level meeting in Abbottabad on Friday to review the non-functionality of the grid station, ongoing delays in electricity provision, public unrest, and the blockade of the Karakoram Highway (KKH).

The meeting was attended by senior officials including representatives from HAZECO, NGC, the Dasu Hydropower Project, and the Deputy Commissioner Lower Kohistan.

The officials briefed the meeting that procurement of essential electrical panels is in its final stage and that the equipment will reach Patan within the week. It was decided that after installation and technical testing, the grid station will be completed and made functional within the set deadline.

<?php /*?> <?php */?>

The Commissioner stressed that accountability measures would be taken against elements responsible for delays and public hardship.

Following these assurances, the situation on the Karakoram Highway in Lower Kohistan, where protesters had staged a sit-in at RBM Chowk in Pattan, was defused and the blockade was called off. The protest had erupted over delays in the operationalization of the grid station and unmet commitments related to electricity supply from the Dubair-Khawar power project under a 2015 agreement.

The protest had earlier caused severe disruption on the strategic highway, stranding thousands of travelers, tourists, and freight vehicles between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan. While intermittent openings were reported during the protest, the route has now been restored after negotiations with district administration officials, who had sought time to address the grievances of local residents.