Gilgit-Baltistan: The North Area Transport Company (NATCO) of Gilgit Baltistan is finding itself in a state of economic crisis.

Thousands of NATCO employees took to the streets to protest against the local authorities and Islamabad’s illegal administration in the region.

Major protests have erupted across the illegally occupied territory, bringing the whole public transport system to a halt.

The root cause of resentment lies in the local administration’s corrupt attitude and their reluctance to pay the due salaries of the employees for over three months.

NATCO, a crucial transport service provider in the region, has found itself in the middle of salary-related grievances for the last many years.

While putting across his plight and appealing to his fellow employees for further strengthening protests against the authorities, a demonstrator and an employee of NATCO urged, “You are there in all dangers, you work in rains and in landslides, you should get risk allowance also! Keeping you deprived of your genuine right is their (administration’s) incompetence and their ill will against you (NATCO Employees)”

The employees seem unable to withstand the financial strain any longer. They have produced a charter of demands that includes payment of due salaries and other employee rights.

The employees blame the administration for taking ‘advantage of their decency’ and exploiting them on all fronts.

“Today, our brothers (NATCO employees) have come out on the roads. NATCO is such a big department and today the whole department has been orphaned (by the authorities). Our contracts have been taken away by other departments through power and influence. Are we less in anything, in knowledge, in experience in anything? Are we less? We are not weak! They (authorities) take advantage of our decency”, said a protestor.

The illegally occupied territory of Gilgit Baltistan is burning amid a spree of protests against the stooge administration.

The NATCO employees' protest is one among many widespread demonstrations against Islamabad’s illegal regime in the territory.