A large anti-China and anti-Pakistan protest broke out in Muzaffarabad region against the illegal construction of dams by the two countries.
The Government of Pakistan and a Chinese company had signed an agreement for the construction of a 1124 megawatt hydropower project in Kohala that costs $2.4 billion.
On July 6, 2020, protesters held a massive rally. Larger number of people joined came together for a mega rally to to protests against the construction of dams in the Neelum and Jhelum rivers.
The angry protesters questioned under what law or laws was the agreement signed. They claimed that Pakistan and China are violating United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions by occupying rivers.
They highlighted the detrimental effects on the environment upon the construction of these dams. The rally expanded to a social media campaign that trended with the hashtag – #SaveRiversSaveAJK.
The project being built under China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) has been awarded to Kohala Hydropower Company Ltd (KHCL) which is a subsidiary of China Three Gorges Corporation (CTGC).
Source: ANI