MUZAFFARABAD: A rally of civil society activists clashed with police here on Monday as it forced its way through them to stage a sit-in outside the grid station in protest against power loadshedding.

The rally, which was led by Zahid Amin, a former head of two civic bodies, was taken out from Upper Adda, with its participants chanting slogans against Wapda, Federal Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali and AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majeed.

The protesters raised slogans, “Down with Wapda, down with the AJK government; we cannot subscribe to the rule of tyranny.”

As the rally reached Allama Iqbal Bridge over River Neelum, police contingents tried to stop it from moving ahead, towards the grid station in the Bela Noor Shah neighbourhood.

However, the furious participants refused to stop and amid scuffles with the policemen proceeded towards their destination.

The police then resorted to tear gas shelling and baton charge. At least three women pedestrians were said to have fainted due to the tear gas. Outside the grid station, the protesters staged a sit-in for around two hours.

Condemning the police action, the speakers blasted the AJK administration for “aiding and abetting” Wapda notwithstanding the fact it had “unleashed merciless loadshedding on the people who had never shown even a slightest resistance to its power generation projects in their area.”

“People from all shades of life are seething at Wapda’s prejudiced treatment to Muzaffarabad, particularly in the backdrop of their sacrifices for reduction of energy crisis in Pakistan,” Mr Amin said on the occasion.

He pointed out that people of Muzaffarabad had offered their land at the cost of their environment and natural water resources for the 969-megawatt Neelum Jhelum Hydroelectric Project and 150-megawatt Patrind project.

Similarly, he added, people of Mirpur had allowed submersion of the graves of their near and dear ones twice with the same spirit for construction and (recent) extension of Mangla dam.

“But what are we getting in return? Loadshedding that is beyond bearing,” he said.

Speakers demanded the status of a loadshedding free zone for AJK on account of its contribution to mitigate energy crisis. Besides, it should also be offered special discount in power tariff, they said. Organisers announced on the occasion that they would take out another rally from Upper Adda on Tuesday to condemn loadshedding and police highhandedness.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2014