ISLAMABAD: Like many parts of the country, a shutter-down strike was observed in the federal capital and Muzaffarabad by traders in protest against inflated electricity bills. Another strike has been scheduled for Saturday over the same issue.

The strike, on the call of All Pakistan Anjuman Tajran, was observed by the majority of business community across Pakistan. Except G-9 Markaz, it was largely observed in all markets of Islamabad.

President Anjuman-i-Tajiran Ajmal Baloch told Dawn that the reason for the strike was apolitical and it had nothing to do with the upcoming elections.

“We are facing serious financial constraints due to this high electricity cost, and this shutter-down strike was only to pressure the government,” Mr Baloch said.

He added, “This reaction of the traders and the support we received from the general public shows that everybody is upset over high electricity rates. This one day strike should be an eye opener for the government.”

Another strike scheduled for Saturday in Islamabad

He also said traders had a meeting on Thursday evening with leaders of various bodies of the business community and it was decided that if the government did not mend its ways there will be a two-day shutter-down strike across the country.

However, no strike was observed in G-9 Markaz mainly due to the differences among the ranks of local chapter of the traders’ body as well as the influence of traders’ wing of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI).

Like the G-9 Markaz, the supporters of JI did not observe the shutter-down strike in other markets because the party has announced to hold a nationwide shutter-down strike on September 2 against the inflated electricity bills. It will also hold a youth convention in Liaquat Bagh the same day.

Muzaffarabad

Azad Jammu Kashmir’s capital Muzaffarabad and its adjoining Neelum and Jhelum valleys observed a shutter down and wheel-jam strike on Thursday in a protest against “cruel taxes” in power bills and environmental ramifications of the Neelum-Jhelum Hydropower Project (NJHP) among other issues.

The protest call was given by the ‘Awami Action Committee’ of Muzaffarabad, with traders and civil society activists in the lead, after the enforcement of additional taxes in power tariff. Some key PTI and PML-N leaders belonging to Muzaffarabad had also proclaimed their support for the strike, but they were not seen in any of the demonstrations on Thursday.

According to witnesses, inter and intra-city arteries in all three districts of the division – Muzaffarabad, Neelum in the northeast, and Jhelum valley in the south and southeast – saw zero traffic movement until late afternoon. All shops and business units, including pharmacies, clinics and labs, remained shut throughout the day. Even street vendors and daily wagers were nowhere to be seen in many parts of the division.

A number of rallies and demonstrations taken out by traders and civil society groups were held in almost all towns of Muzaffarabad division, resounding with emotional slogans in favour of a charter of demands amid “fiery speeches” by some of the participants.

In many areas in the state capital and elsewhere, young boys had placed obstacles on roads. They burned used tyres on major roads to prevent the movement of traffic, particularly motorbikes.

In Muzaffarabad, the rallies which originated from different neighbourhoods finally merged into a gathering at the otherwise bustling Bank Road. Except for the AJK’s colourful flags, no other flags were seen in the hands of protestors anywhere.

Speakers took strong exception to the federal and AJK governments, saying it was the “height of injustice on their part to slap brutal taxes” on the people of the area which was generating more than 2,500 megawatts of cheap hydel power.

“Isn’t it the recognised universal principle that the area which produces any commodity shall benefit from it first before its transportation or transmission to other parts of the country? So why should we pay a heavy price for a cheap product,” one of them asked rhetorically while referring to hydropower.

“If our parents are unable to pay bills due to heavy tariffs, our electricity supply will be cut off and eventually we will have to discontinue our studies. Then how the dream of an educated state will be realised,” said Umama Jagwal, a teenage student, who also attended the gathering along with a handful of women.

Environmental hazards

Protestors also vented anger at the “environmental hazards” caused by the diversion of the Neelum River for the hydropower project and the alleged apathy of the authorities to address these issues. “Let the Neelum and Jhelum (rivers) flow [to] let us survive,” they chanted.

An untoward incident also occurred at the main gathering when some of the participants started chanting ‘pro-independence’ slogans, which were responded to with ‘pro-Pakistan’ slogans by a local Muslim Conference leader and his supporters. The situation was defused, however, by the organisers after some time.

Faisal Jamil Kashmiri, a key civil society activist, claimed that they had already received reports that some people would attend the rallies under an agenda to sabotage the basic purpose of the event.

“We have credible reports that a local PPP leader had hired some people to create controversy in the event… We have identified both and will expose them soon,” he said.

Action Committee’s gratitude

In a press conference in the evening along with active ‘action committee’ members, Shaukat Nawaz Mir, president of the traders of Muzaffarabad, expressed gratitude to people “for rising above their political ideologies and affiliations…to give a categorical message to the government that they would not budge from their charter of demands”. Asking people to gear up for the next course of action, he said a decision on a proposed state-wide protest on September 5 would be taken in consultation with the leadership of the Mirpur and Poonch divisions.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2023