GILGIT: The residents took to streets against prolonged power loadshedding in Skardu on Monday.

The protesters warned that if the electricity outages continued a shutter down strike would be observed across the region.

A large number of locals from various areas of Skardu town participated in the protest rally, marching towards the Skardu Press Club.

The protesters were chanting slogans against the GB government and the water and power department for their failure to ensure smooth electricity supply to the region. The protest call was given by the traders and civil society organisations.

They lamented that due to long power suspensions trade activities had been paralysed. They said millions of rupees had been spent on power generation, but the situation became worse during winter.

Addressing the protesters, Ghulam Hussain, president of Skadu traders union, said rulers had promised to install electricity generators to overcome the power crisis in winter, but to no avail.

He said that the locals had been going through hard times during the harsh winter without electricity.

Ghulam Haider, an office-bearer of Pakistan Tehreek-i-insaf, said no one was serious to end the power crisis, which usually hit the region in winter. He alleged that important personalities were being provided electricity through special lines, while the poor people were in complete darkness.

The protesters said the GB government officials were not serious to resolve the problem.

Published in Dawn, December 25th, 2018