Power Crisis in Gilgit Baltistan Leads to Protests and Road Blockades

Frustrated by unannounced power outages, the youth of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) held a protest on Wednesday, blocking roads, according to PoGB-based news outlet Pamir Times.

The report highlighted that the Pakistani government has failed to address the ongoing power crisis despite making lofty promises to the people of PoGB. The general public expressed their frustration by raising slogans against the local administration, accusing it of neglecting their issues.

One of the protesters said the PoGB government should stop playing “bluff games” with them. “PoGB has the potential to produce around a lakh megawatts of electricity, yet today we can barely generate 10 megawatts. They should stop misleading us with false schedules. We organize our lives around these schedules, but everything changes without notice. It’s their responsibility to inform the public in advance so we can prepare accordingly,” he said.

Criticizing the “poor governance,” he added that no one answers calls in the electricity department, which is a reflection of the administration’s inefficiency. He also claimed, “This is a conspiracy against the people of PoGB,” and urged the government to stop providing special electricity lines to hotels, stating that only hospitals, which serve the needy, should receive such benefits.

The protester further warned that if the issue of load shedding is not resolved within 2-3 days, they will organize a larger protest. “Previous officials have made no significant improvements. Currently, only three flights operate from Gilgit Airport, and the Chief Minister of PoGB uses Skardu Airport to travel to Rawalpindi. If load shedding does not stop within 2-3 days, we will take to the streets and protest again very soon,” he added.

Noticeably, load shedding and major power cuts have been long-standing issues in PoGB. Despite several protests in recent months, the administration continues to ignore the people’s plight and has taken no steps to alleviate their problems.

(Source: ANI)

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