CHITRAL, Sept 1: Life came to a standstill in Chitral on Sunday as bazaars wore a deserted look and vehicles remained off the road in protest against government reluctance to provide them electricity from the Golen Gol hydropower project.

Call for the strike was given by a power committee, which has been set up by the political parties and civil society organisations to press the government to accept their demand.

A big protest procession was taken out from Chew bridge which turned into a meeting at polo ground.

Local MNA Shahzada Iftikharuddin, former MNA Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali and leaders of power committee addressed the protesters, criticising the government for ignoring their demand of establishing a 132KV grid station in Chitral.

They said 30 megawatt electricity to be generated from the 110 megawatt Golen Gol power project should be supplied to Chitral. The project is likely to be completed by end of the current year.

The protesters said the electricity would bring about prosperity in the district as the fabulous deposits of marble here could be exploited.

They warned that the peaceful people of Chitral would turn violent if they were denied their rights.

MNA Shahzada Iftikhar said he would resign from the assembly seat if he failed to get the demand of Chitrali people fulfilled. He said there was tremendous hydro-power generation potential in the district.—Correspondent