Protests erupt in Balochistan over unannounced road closures, severe load-shedding

Balochistan [Pakistan], February 16 : Major road closures and unannounced load shedding in Balochistan's Kharan and Pasni areas resulted in massive protests by the public on Friday, the Balochistan Post reported.
Other than the massive protest by the public, the residents and students belonging to the Jozhan area also wrote a letter to Deputy Commissioner Munir Ahmad Soomro, demanding the reopening of the roads that had been closed during the election, for security reasons, the same report stated.
The public demanded that the roads in the public areas be opened, as the citizens are facing severe difficulties because of the closure.
The report by The Balochistan Post also stated that such closures for security reasons in Balochistan are not rare. Regularly major cities in Balochistan, like Turbat, Gwadar, and Khuzdar, are often subjected to unannounced road closures.
A similar protest was witnessed in the Pansi area against the Quetta Electric Supply Company (QESCO) for the unannounced electricity cuts.
The Balochistan Post stated that women protesters locked QESCO staff inside their offices, demanding an end to the power cuts that have become a daily ordeal.
The Balochistan Post quoted protestors who stated that they were facing around 12 to 18 hours of power cuts daily. Further, the protester also emphasized that, very soon Ramadan is approaching and they will not bear these power cuts during these times.
If they pay their bills on time, then it is the duty of the administration to provide them with a reliable and continuous supply of electricity.
The same news piece also stated that no response in this regard was received from the authorities of the Kharan and Pansi areas.
Similar protests raising the issue of power cuts are being observed in Gilgit Baltistan, and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK). Previously, massive protests were organised by the public in Khaplu district in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) against rising load shedding in the region.
The protestors have called out the "incompetence" of the electricity department, which has failed to provide three-phase electricity.
They have alleged that certain influential people are being given 24-hour electricity through a special line, while the general public is being subjected to 18-hour load shedding.
It has become the norm to damage transformers due to dead electricity. The electricity system in the district has been in disarray for the last two months, and the officials of the electricity department are absent from the district, the protestors said.
The protestors have further complained that the problem of electricity is getting more serious day by day and that far-reaching measures are needed to overcome the crisis.