PoGB: Protest erupts over power outages amidst government inaction
Aug 08, 2024
Gilgit City [PoGB], August 8 : The youth of the Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan, which is frustrated with unannounced power outages, held a protest against the PoGB government by blocking roads on Wednesday, PoGB-based news outlet Pamir Times reported.
According to the report, the Pakistani government has miserably failed to address the power crisis, despite making lofty promises and claims to the people of PoGB.
The general public expressed their angst by raising slogans against the local administration for neglecting the issues faced by the people of PoGB.
One of the protesters present at that location said the PoGB government should stop playing "bluff games" with them.
"PoGB can produce around lakh megawatts of electricity and today we cannot even generate 10 megawatts. They should stop playing bluff games with us on the schedule they give to us, we arrange everything according to that, but everything happens according to them and when. This is their responsibility to inform the public in advance so that the least public could prepare accordingly," he said as quoted by the report.
Attacking the "poor governance", he further stated that no one is answering their calls in the electricity department, which reflects poor governance.
He said, "This is a conspiracy against the people of PoGB and urged the government to stop providing special lines to hotels. He also urged that only hospitals should receive such benefits as they treat the needy."
The protestor further warned that if the issue of lead shedding is not resolved within 2-3 days, they will again hold a heavy protest.
"Previous officials have not made any significant improvements. Currently, only three flights operate from the Gilgit Airport, and the Chief Minister of PoGB uses the Skardu airport to travel to Rawalpindi. If load shedding does not stop within 2-3 days, they will take the issue to the streets and start a protest very soon," he further stated.
Noticeably, load shedding and major power cuts have been a long-standing issue in PoGB and the locals have highlighted these issues several times.
There have been several protests over these issues in recent months, but the administration has continued to ignore people's plight and has taken no steps to ease their problems.
