GWADAR: Amid a shutter-down strike in the coastal town of Pasni, locals protesting against prolonged power outages blocked the coastal highway at Zero Point, suspending traffic between Makran and other areas of Balochistan as well as Karachi.

The protesters, belonging to different political parties and civil society, gathered in Pasni town and chanted slogans against the government and Quetta Electric Supply Company.

While addressing the protesters, Haq Do Tehreek (HDT) leader Maulana Hidayatur Rehman alleged the government had deliberately suspended power supply to Makran.

“The severe hot weather has made life unbearable,” he said and demanded the power supply be restored immediately.

He said that despite the suspension of power supply, people have received hefty bills. The residents of Pasni criticised unpredictable schedule and duration of loadshedding, noting that electricity was sometimes restored only for an hour or two before being suspended again.

The HDT leader demanded that Iran should be asked to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply to Makran under its agreement with Pakistan.

Published in Dawn, July 9th, 2024