GILGIT: Protests broke out across Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) on Thursday after police arrested five leaders of the Gilgit-Baltistan Awami Action Committee (ACC), including its chairman, Ehsan Ali Advocate, ahead of a planned Grand Jirga on May 26.

Demonstrations were held in Hunza, Gilgit and Skardu, where protesters condemned the arrests and demanded the immediate release of the detained leaders. The ACC said the arrests were aimed at sabotaging the jirga, which was to address issues surrounding the ownership of natural resourcesin the region.

According to officials, police arrested the activists Ehsan Ali Advocate,Engineer Mahboob Wali, Masoodul Rehman, Asghar Shah and Waheed Hassan from various places in Gilgit on Wednesday evening. A GB anti-terrorism court on Thursday granted police 14-day physical remand of the accused, who were taken to the Airport Police Station.

Authorities have refused to share the First Information Report (FIR), but a police source told Dawn that the arrests were made under anti-terrorism laws for alleged anti-state activities and hate speech during the recent Pakistan-India border tensions. An FIR has reportedly been registered against 16 ACC leaders.

In Aliabad, Hunza, demonstrators gathered along the Karakoram Highway.

Protesters accused the GB government of targeting political dissent under false pretenses.