Load-Shedding: Power cuts continue in AJK

MIRPUR (AJK): Despite the recent announcement by the Federal Minister for power about the permanent end of load-shedding throughout the country, including Azad Jammu and Kashmir, outages have continued to plague most of the territory. Long and regular power outages in Mirpur and rural areas have agitated the masses, leading to people, including traders and students voicing their resentments on the streets. Most of this anger has been directed towards the State Electricity Department for its total failure on solving the crisis. Repeated calls to it have often gone unanswered.  The elderly and infants have suffered the most as the unscheduled breakdowns occur almost every hour throughout the city.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2012.