GILGIT: Protest demonstrations broke out across Gilgit-Baltistan on Thursday against prolonged electricity load-shedding, paralysing routine life in the region.

Most areas in the region have been enduring 22 hours of outages in a day for a long time. People of Kashrote Gilgit area, incl­uding women and children, took to streets aga­inst prolonged outages.

Enraged people, carrying banners inscribed with their demands, chanted slogans against the government. They blocked Park link road and burnt tyres.

Later, the protesters marched to the River Road near GB Chief Minister’s House, held a protest rally there and blocked the road. Vehicular traffic on River Road remained suspended for five hours because of the protest. The protesters said they have been experiencing 22 hours’ loadshedding daily which has paralysed their routine life.

Protesters block River Road near CM House for five hours

They said housewives could not cook food for their family members and children could not study as power outages have paralysed daily life of all people of the area.

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The protesters said they are provided electricity for only two hours’ daily and this situation has made the people’s lives a mess.

The protesters said that VIP people are being provided electricity 24 hours daily through special power lines.

“There is no electricity in the general public area for 22 hours a day and no relevant authority is ready to take notice of this unbearable situation,” a resident of the area said.

He demanded of top officials of the department concerned to provide at least 10 hours’ electricity daily.

Residents of Hafeez­abad of Ghizer district also took to streets and blocked Ghizer-Shandur Road against the prolonged power outages.

A large number of local residents gathered at Ghizer-Shandur Road, staged a protest demonstration and blocked the road for several hours.

Protesters said residents remain without electricity for 22 hours daily causing them great inconvenience, but relevant authorities are not ready to end load-shedding.

Residents of Phakar village of Nagar district also came out on roads against power load-shedding in the area.

They said that residents of the area have been facing electricity outages on a daily basis, adding that despite spending billions of rupees, the government has failed to provide electricity to the people.

“Electricity is basic need of the people and depriving the people of this basic right is an injustice with the people,” they said.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2024