Picture Story: 61 Days of Protest: Sost Border Closure Strands Passengers and Halts Trade

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On the 61st day of protests at the Sost border in Gilgit-Baltistan, traders continue their sit-in, shutting down immigration services. The closure has left Chinese passengers stuck at the frontier, as cross-border trade and travel remain paralyzed in the disputed region.
On the 61st day of protests at the Sost border in Gilgit-Baltistan, traders continue their sit-in, shutting down immigration services. The closure has left Chinese passengers stuck at the frontier, as cross-border trade and travel remain paralyzed in the disputed region.

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The protest at the Sost border in Gilgit-Baltistan has entered its 61st day, leaving cross-border trade and travel in complete paralysis. Local traders, angered over what they call unfair restrictions, have staged a continuous sit-in, forcing immigration services to shut down.

The closure has stranded dozens of Chinese passengers who remain stuck at the crossing, while the suspension of movement has also blocked a key trade route used by Pakistan to import and export goods with China.

With no breakthrough in sight, the crisis is not only disrupting the livelihoods of traders in Gilgit-Baltistan but also straining Pakistan’s wider economic ties through this vital corridor.

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