GILGIT: Residents of Gilgit city took to the streets here on Sunday against the 22-hour electricity loadshedding.

The protest rally organised by the Awami Action Committee (AAC), Gilgit-Baltistan, was taken out from Gadi Bagh area, and after passing through Banazi Chowk and airport road, the protesters gathered at Kalima Chowk.

About 500 activists belonging to various political and religious parties joined the protest rally, chanting slogans against the excessive loadshedding. They also carried banners inscribed with slogans against the concerned authorities.

The protesters said that commercial, social, and educational activities had come to halt due to the power suspension.

Addressing the protesters, Jamaat-i-Islami GB chapter emir Maulana Abdul Sami said that people in the region couldn’t endure the prolonged electricity outages. He said that massive corruption in the power sector was responsible for the worst situation. He alleged that many power projects in the region, including Naltar, Kargha, and Joglot had become dysfunctional for want of maintenance.

Speaking on the occasion, nationalist leader Safdar Ali said that smooth power supply was being ensured to influential people in the city through a special line, but the poor people were being subjected to excessive loadshedding.

Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play